Harry's Minerva
by redwolf96
Summary: Harry and Minerva have been friends since she started training him during the Triwizard Tournament. Now, Sirius is dead and Harry's learned some disturbing information about himself, his connection to Voldemort, and Dumbledore's intentions and plans for him. He's going to need Minerva to survive this war. But, neither of them predicted falling in love.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything owned and copyrighted by J. K. Rowling. I am simply having fun with a world I've been reading about since I was five.

AN: This is my first fanfiction, so don't expect too much from the story. I will be using the 1996 calendar so the story starts on June 19th at around midnight. Also, I am only publishing the first chapters of a few stories so I don't know when the next update will be.

This is just an edit, not a different chapter.

Chapter 1

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._" (From the Order of the Phoenix.)

Harry looked at Dumbledore across from the man's desk in his office, a mix of grief, shock, and anger displayed on his face. He was angry the man had held this secret from him for so long. If he had known about the prophecy before tonight, he would have known that Voldemort – or Tom as he referred to him as – would try to lead him to the Ministry and make plans for it. Sirius could still be alive.

"When were you planning on telling me this?" Harry asked, righteous fury in his voice.

Dumbledore sat calmly in Harry's rage, which made the young wizard even angrier. "It wasn't the right time until tonight."

"Really?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You don't think I should have known about it BEFORE Tom tried to lure me to the Department of Mysteries."

Dumbledore sighed, trying to figure out how to make Harry understand. "I wanted for you to enjoy your childhood as long as possible. Telling you about it would have caused the loss of your innocence."

"WHAT CHILDHOOD!" Harry screamed. He took a deep breath to calm down before continuing in a cold voice. "My _childhood_ died the same night my parents did; being dropped off on those people's doorstep saw to that. My _innocence_ was lost before I even started at Hogwarts."

"It couldn't have been that bad there," Dumbledore claimed, thinking Harry's grief was causing him to be overly dramatic.

"How would you know? It's not like you ever checked up on me," Harry argued.

"I had Ms. Figg there to watch over you," Dumbledore asserted.

"Yeah, well she couldn't see what happened inside the house, could she?" Harry stated sarcastically. "She didn't see the hate and cruelty I was treated with every moment I was in their presence. She didn't see the physical and emotional abuse the Dursleys subjected me to. She didn't see how they treated me like I was their slave when they needed me, locking me out of the house when they didn't want me."

Dumbledore was disturbed by the description Harry gave him of his life with his relatives. While the Headmaster knew the Dursleys wouldn't love Harry, he didn't think they would have treated him that badly. He wondered how he had missed it. "I am sorry they treated you that way, but you had to stay there for your protection. The blood wards I was able to erect around the Dursley home, gained due to your mother's sacrifice, protected you from those who might have tried to harm you. It is important that you continue to have your mother's protection upon you," Dumbledore reasoned.

Unfortunately for Dumbledore, Harry was not appeased. "I don't care about stupid blood wards. My parents didn't die for me to have a horrible life, to be mistreated my entire life."

"I am sorry you feel that way, but I had to do so for the Greater Good," Dumbledore insisted.

Harry was incensed that Dumbledore continued to try and justify his actions. In his anger, he unconsciously sent a wave of magic out from him, breaking pretty much everything in the office and almost knocking Dumbledore out of his chair. "You know what you're Greater Good did. It caused me to have a similar upbringing as Tom. Both of us were abused for being different. Yet knowing how he turned out, you put me in the same situation, ruining my life and alienating me from most of Magical Britain." Harry lowered his voice so Dumbledore could just barely hear him. "You better hope I don't turn out like him, because I would be so much worse," he threatened before storming out of the office.

Dumbledore paled at Harry's words, watching in silence as the young man left his office. He didn't see how everything had gone so wrong and was unsure how to begin fixing it. _I have to get Harry back on my side so he can fulfill his destiny. I may not like it, but has to be done for the Greater Good_, he thought mournfully.

\- H.M. –

Harry walked around the castle under the cover of his invisibility cloak, no destination in mind. After about an hour of aimless wandering, he ended up in front of the Hospital wing. _Figures I would come here to see her_, he thought. Sighing, he went inside quietly, trying not to disturb any of the patients. He glanced at his sleeping friends, guilt filling him at their injured state, but he tried to ignore it. He kept walking toward one of the private rooms near Madam Pomphrey's office to see the reason he came here. Before he could open the door however, Madam Pomphrey stopped him.

"Harry, it's about time you showed up here. I need to examine you for injuries," she stated as he led him to the nearest bed, pushing him down onto it. Before he could object, she had her wand out and was waving it across his entire body. "Hmm, it seems you only managed to suffer minor scrapes and bruises. I want you to take this potion for pain, but you won't have to stay the night," she said when she finished her examination.

Harry nodded before he tentatively asked a question. "Is it okay if I see Professor McGonagall? I promise I won't wake her up or anything Poppy." Said professor had been attacked by five ministry aurors (who were in Fudge's pocket) while defending Hagrid from being evicted from Hogwarts. This happened in the corridor near the entry to the Great Hall in front of several witnesses, including Harry. When Minerva was reaching for her wand to stop them, the aurors all shot stunners at her. Enraged, Harry rushed an unconscious Minerva to the Hospital wing, ignoring everyone else as he levitated her the entire way there. She was badly hurt, but Poppy was able to take care of her instead of having to send her to St. Mungo's. For the witch's privacy, Poppy put her in one of the three private rooms in the Hospital wing, which was a medium-sized room with a door and a private bathroom.

Poppy saw the anguish and hope in his eyes and knew she couldn't deny his request. "Very well, but try not to stay for too long Harry," she relented.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly before he walked into the room.

He sat down in the chair on the right side of Minerva's bed and watched over her, reflecting on how much this woman had helped him since he started at Hogwarts. Before his fourth year, Minerva had been his favorite professor. He not only enjoyed the subject, but he appreciated that she was a stern but fair person, judging you based on your own merits. He also knew she was a very caring and kind person, though she didn't openly show that side all of the time. A few examples of him personally experiencing this kindness were: when she bought him a broom during his first year, when she took up for him during the Chamber of Secrets incident, and when she helped him figure out the Patronus charm.

After his name came out of the Goblet of Fire however, her realized just how amazing, kind-hearted, and strong of a person she truly was.

Flashback Start

That day Harry had planned on avoiding everyone so he could come to terms with the ramifications of last night. However, he was given a note by a first-year Gryffindor requesting his presence in Minerva's office. He didn't know why she wanted to talk to him, but he figured it wasn't to lecture him judging by her defense of him last night. She had soundly told off everyone for accusing him of cheating to get into the tournament, especially Snape.

When he got there, Minerva was sitting at her desk, looking over some paperwork. She looked up at him when he entered.

"Thank you for coming so promptly Mr. Potter," she greeted.

"Umm you're welcome Professor. What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

She sighed, a strange look on her face. "This is going to be a difficult conversation, so we'll have it in a more comfortable setting." She locked the door to her office before gesturing for him to follow her. She led him to her private quarters, telling him to sit down on the sofa in front of her fireplace.

"I don't know how you'll feel about what I have to say to you, but I ask that you let me finish before you say anything," she requested after she had a house-elf bring them some refreshments.

Harry looked at her intently. "I can do that Professor," he replied. He wasn't sure what she had to tell him, but he could tell it upset her. He decided to give her a chance to explain before he made any judgements.

Minerva took a sip of her tea before she began talking. "I was there the night Dumbledore left you with the Dursleys. I begged him not to leave you there, to let me take you in instead. I pointed out that they weren't a good choice of guardians for you, but he promised me that he would make sure you were okay. Reluctantly I trusted him. During the years before you got to Hogwarts, I asked him so many times how you were doing, and he always told me you were just fine. He never let me try to contact you though, claiming it might upset the Dursleys. Again, I trusted him. When you finally got to school, I decided to observe you for myself. You are very good at hiding your true emotions, so it took me awhile to realize that your life with the Dursleys was not ideal. I tried to bring this up with Dumbledore, but he refused to listen to me, stating that it was important you stay there for the protections of some blood ward. He's your magical guardian, so there wasn't much I could legally do for you. That's when I decided to help you as much as I could without Dumbledore finding out, while I tried to find legal ways to get you away from them. There were none unfortunately. If I took you, we would have to spend our lives on the run, and I didn't want that for you."

She paused in her speech, taking another sip of her tea before continuing. "However, last night was the last straw. I begged that man to do everything he could to keep you from being involved in this stupid tournament. I trusted him to do at least that much, but I was wrong. I was so wrong. I should have done something before this. I should have taken you from the Dursleys doorstep that night and raised you myself, worrying about the consequences later. But because I trusted him, I failed you. I promised your parents that I would look after you, but I have not adequately done so. I am so sorry Harry and I hope one day you can forgive me for it." Tears were in her eyes as she finished her explanation. She looked away from him in shame as Harry sat there shocked.

He thought for a moment about everything she had told him, but he felt no anger toward the woman. He was aware that Dumbledore was his magical guardian and knew it meant that he was in charge of his affairs and his lodging place for the summer. Dumbledore was in control of the decision-making for him, so she couldn't be blamed for that. Plus, he knew what it was like to be betrayed by someone you thought you could trust. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"I'm not mad at you Professor and I don't blame you either," Harry declared softly. Minerva looked at him in disbelief, but the tears still falling from her eyes only convinced him he was right for his decision. She felt a deep remorse for her lack of actions, though it wasn't really her fault. "I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone you trust, so I could hardly blame you for that."

"You are very much like your mother," she reflected. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. I don't feel like I deserve your kindness at the moment, but I plan on earning it, starting today." When Harry shot her a confused look, she began to explain in more detail. "I will be training you, starting today. You will make it through this idiotic tournament if I have anything to say about it. We will have to keep it secret though, since I'm sure the old coot won't approve."

"I'd like that very much Professor," he replied gratefully.

"Good. First, I offer you the use of my first name when we are in private," she insisted.

Harry gave her his trademark lopsided smile. "Only if you use my first name as well."

Flashback End

And that's how the unique friendship they had today was born. Minerva stuck to her promise and trained him hard throughout the year. They used the Room of Requirement to train secretly, learning that it could open up passages pretty much anywhere in the castle. This helped them to meet up without anyone finding out about it, especially the Headmaster.

When Minerva realized his natural talent for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, she decided to make him her unofficial apprentice in both subjects, teaching him things above his year. She tutored him in Potions as well, helping him to understand the basics of the subject that Snape refused to teach his students. She even taught him things he wouldn't learn at school, like Occlumency.

That summer, she took Order guard duty shifts so she could visit him, even taking him to get new clothes that actually fit him and new glasses with his correct prescription. During this past school year, she kept training him in secret. When he told her what Umbridge made him do in his detention, she almost ran off to hurt the woman. Fortunately, Harry was able to convince her that she was needed at the school and they devised a plan to prevent Umbridge from bringing the blood quills into the school by having the house-elves check her office regularly for them. She also helped him make lesson plans for the DA or Defense Association.

\- H.M. -

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Startled, Harry looked up to see Minerva giving him a small smile having awoken a few minutes ago.

"I do believe it is way past curfew, Mr. Potter," she teased. Then she saw the look on his face and realized immediately that something was wrong. "Harry, what happened?"

He sighed deeply, knowing she wouldn't leave him alone until he answered, stubborn woman that she was. "I…I got another vision of Sirius in trouble. I used the mirror to call him, just like last time, but…but he didn't answer. I tried several more times with the same result. I could feel it Minerva – he was in danger."

"What happened next?" she urged gently when he was quiet for several seconds.

"I told Ron and Hermione and we tried to use the only floo working in this place, but the Toad caught us. She had us three along with Neville, Ginny, and Luna held captive in her office with Inquisitorial Squad's help. The Toad was about to try and torture me because she thought I knew where the old goat was, but Hermione distracted her with some story about weapon hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Before she dragged me and her away, I told Snape to get the Order there. Long story short, we ended up leaving her to the centaurs in the forest and caught up with the others. I…I tried to make them stay but they wouldn't listen, so we all left to break into the Ministry, using the thestrals to fly there. We got all the way to the Hall of Prophecies in the Department of Mysteries and the Death Eaters, led by Malfoy and Bellatrix, had Sirius tied up, demanding that I fetch a prophecy concerning me and Tom. We managed to free Sirius and then we were running through the Ministry, getting separated from each other until we got to the Death Chamber where the Veil is. The Order finally arrived, and we were all fighting and…"

Minerva put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly and he gained some strength from it. "Sirius was dueling Bellatrix and she caught him off guard. He was too close to the Veil. I tried to stop him from falling in, but…I was too late." Minerva gasped, but he kept on going, knowing he had to finish the story. "I ran after her and we ended up in the main entrance. Then Tom showed up and I fought him for a few minutes before Dumbledore arrived. While they were fighting, Tom somehow apparated to me and…he tried to possess me. He tried to make me feel like I was just like him. I barely managed to get him out." Harry conveniently left out the fact that Minerva was the reason he was able to fight Tom. He didn't want to think about the implications of that at the moment. "Then Fudge and some others showed up, catching sight of Tom before he and Bellatrix fled."

Minerva lifted his chin to make him look at her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you. And I'm sorry about Sirius."

Harry shrugged miserably. "It's not your fault. You're hurt. If you hadn't trained me like you did, we all would have died." He stood up, feeling overwhelmed by his guilt and anguish. "I should go now, and you should try and get some more sleep." Harry was already at the door when he finished talking. Minerva thought about calling him back, but she figured he needed some time alone.

"Good night Harry," she said gently.

"Good night Minerva," he replied in the same tone.

\- H.M. –

The next few days, Harry spent most of his time in the Room of Requirement, taking his anger and frustration out on training dummies. He even took his meals there, refusing to spend time in the Great Hall where he would have to see Dumbledore's face. He was so angry with the man for keeping something that had such an impact on his life from him, as if he had the right to do so. Harry was entitled to knowing it, yet he was kept in the dark.

The thing that kept replaying in his mind was the last part about neither he and Tom could live while the other survived and that they had to die by the other's hand. After a while, he decided that meant only he could kill Tom and only Tom could kill him. At first, he didn't plan on doing anything drastic about it, knowing Minerva and his other friends would be upset if he did anything stupid. That would change soon however.

\- H.M. –

Two days after the incident, he went to visit his friends in the Hospital wing.

"Hey guys, how are you all doing?" he asked them. They almost simultaneously shouted his name, having not seen or heard him come in.

"Where have you been mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, we heard that no one's seen you around," Neville added.

"Sorry, I just needed some time alone to think," Harry apologized.

"We understand Harry," Hermione said softly, Luna and Ginny vocalizing the same sentiments seconds later.

They all began discussing how they were doing and what their treatments were. Harry apologized profusely, telling them he was sorry for leading them into a trap. They tried to convince him that they were okay, letting him know that they didn't blame him at all and pointing out that they were the ones who insisted to come. They reminded him he tried to make them stay, but they refused. Harry tried to cheer himself up with the fact that they were all going to be okay, but he couldn't keep the images of them in the Ministry out of his mind.

Eventually he begged off, saying they needed their rest. Neville, Luna, and Ginny left at the same time, having already been discharged earlier that day. They tried to follow him, but he said he needed more time alone.

That night he had a horrible nightmare. In it, he saw all of his friends get tortured and killed by the Death Eaters over and over again. He saw Sirius die repeatedly as the man blamed him for his death. Then he saw Minerva get attacked again, but this time she didn't wake up, no matter how hard he tried. His dream, in combination with his conclusion concerning the prophecy, made him decide that he would fight Tom on his own, using his own methods. He didn't want to have to watch another person he cared about get hurt or killed.

\- H.M. -

The night of the Leaving Feast, Minerva was finally discharged from the Hospital wing. Instead of going to it, she decided to try and find Harry. She had been told by Poppy that he had been doing a disappearing act. Poppy told her no one had seen him for longer than a minute since the battle at the Ministry. She thought about where he might be before trying the Astronomy Tower since she knew he liked to go there to look at the night sky when he needed to think.

As she had guessed, he was up there leaning on the balcony, staring at the stars above. "I thought I'd find you here," she greeted as she walked to stand by him.

"Of course, you would find me here," he muttered, not turning to look at her.

"Poppy told me you've been avoiding everyone," she remarked.

"I needed some time alone, some time to think," he replied.

"I gathered that much. Still, too much time alone isn't always wise. I know from personal experience," she said, turning to look at him.

Harry sighed. "I had to figure some things out."

"Like what?" she probed.

"I think, no I know, I need to fight him on my own from now on," he declared.

"Harry, I understand that you're hurting right now, but that doesn't mean you should make rash decisions. You're not thinking clearly right now," she stated firmly.

"I've been doing nothing but thinking and this is what I've decided! I'm going to take the fight to Tom and his followers, on my own. I'm going to try and stop them before they can hurt people," he asserted.

"What else happened that night to make you think this is a good idea?" she asked, knowing this wasn't just about Sirius's death.

"Nothing," he denied.

"Harry, I can tell by now when you're lying to me. Tell me what happened," she insisted.

"It's nothing you should be concerned about," he said trying to get her to drop it.

She scoffed at him. "Obviously I should be if you're considering waging a war all on your own." When he didn't respond, she tried a different tack. "Please talk to me Harry, I want to help you. Sirius wouldn't want you to do this."

He whirled around to face her, his pain displayed clearly on his face. "How would you know what he wants? How would I know what he wants? HE'S DEAD! He doesn't have any wants anymore! Bellatrix took that from him! She…she took him from me!"

"I know and I'm so sorry he's gone. But don't do this. Let me help you and I'm sure we can figure this out," she pleaded.

Harry shook his head vehemently. "I don't need or want your help, so save it for somebody who does. I'm doing this on my own and there's nothing you can do or say to stop me. I won't see anyone else I care about die because I wasn't able to save them."

"Harry," she said as she tried to reach for him. He snatched his arm away from her.

"Leave me alone Professor!" he shouted. Before she could say anything else, he stormed out of the tower.

Minerva stood there for several moments, unable to shake her shock long enough to chase after him. She didn't know what to say to him anyway. So instead, she stood there as the tears began to fall down her face, unable to hide her hurt at the moment. She wasn't angry at him though. She was hurting for him and upset that she didn't know how to help him.


	2. Chapter 2

See first chapter for disclaimer.

Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Harry was in the Room of Requirement trying to figure out how he was going to avoid the train. He wanted to go to Gringotts, but he didn't want to be discovered as missing for a while. He needed time to find somewhere to stay before people started looking for him. Then it came to him.

"Dobby," he said aloud. A moment later the elf appeared.

"How can Dobby help the great Harry Potter?" he asked excitedly, bouncing on his feet.

Harry shook his head at the excitable elf. "I was wondering if you could help me sneak off of the Hogwarts Express. I need to go to Gringotts, but I don't want anyone to know I've left until it's too late for them to stop me."

Dobby shook his head sadly. "Dobby cannot help the great Harry Potter because Dobby works for Hogwarts."

Harry got disappointed until he thought of something else. "Would you be able to help me if I bonded with you as my personal elf?"

Dobby's eyes widened dramatically, making Harry worry that they might fall out. "The great Harry Potter wants Dobby as his elf? Dobby would like this very much."

"Great, but I have a few conditions. You can only call me Harry, no extra titles. You are not allowed to punish yourself. If you think you did something wrong, you come to me so we can talk about it. Finally, you're not allowed to overwork yourself. If I tell you to slow down or take a day off, I need you to do so. Can you agree to that?"

Dobby nodded his head quickly before he told Harry how to do the bonding. "All Harry has to say is 'I claim Dobby as my house-elf and slave' with his wand in his hand and then wes will glow," he explained.

Harry did as he said, deciding to exchange the word family with the word slave at the last minute. They glowed brightly a second later as the elf described, but something unexpected happened. Dobby grew a few inches taller, his back straightened out, and he looked healthier.

"What happened?" Harry asked in confusion.

"You bonded to me as family instead of as a slave. It made me stronger," Dobby replied. Even his voice sounding stronger and Harry realized he elf was using proper grammar. "I wonder if…never mind." Dobby cut himself off, afraid to continue.

"Whatever it is, you can ask me Dobby," Harry pressed gently.

"I wonder if Harry would take Winky as his house-elf too. Winky is not doing very well. She misses having a family very much," Dobby said cautiously.

"Sure," Harry replied, seeing no problem with the request. Dobby called for Winky and Harry did the ritual again, getting the same results. Winky hugged his legs gratefully, thanking him over and over again until he was able to calm her. She insisted that she call him Master Harry but agreed to the rest of his conditions. Then he instructed them to wait about half an hour after the Hogwarts Express left the station in Hogsmeade before they get ready to get him and his stuff so they could take him to Gringotts. When he was sure they understood the plan, he left the room and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.

Harry packed his things up, making small talk with some of his fellow Gryffindors so they would remember he was there. When it was almost time to go, Neville and Ron came to get him, asking if he was ready. Harry said yes, agreeing to walk with them down to the station. They were joined by Hermione, Ginny, and Luna when they got near the entrance to the school. Harry caught a glimpse of Minerva, but he looked away quickly as the guilt from his words last night rose in him. Thankfully, she didn't see him, and he ushered for his friends to hurry up so he could get away before she noticed him.

He stayed with them on the train for about half an hour as planned, though he felt it took too long to come. His friends were trying to cheer him up, but he didn't want to be happy. Making the excuse that he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, he left to go "be alone," ignoring their protests. When he got to the very back of the train, he called for his house-elves and they quickly got him and his luggage, leaving no trace that he had been there.

\- H.M. -

They arrived in the alley behind the bank. Harry shoved a hat on his head before walking swiftly to the bank. He went to the nearest empty teller, waiting for the goblin to acknowledge him.

"How can Gringotts help you today?" the teller finally asked, surprised at Harry's patience.

"I need to see the Potter account manager," Harry replied so only the teller could hear him. He flashed the goblin his scar as proof.

"One moment," the teller replied, touching a button on his desk. A moment later, a younger looking goblin arrived. "Take him to see Ripclaw," the teller commanded before turning back to his desk in obvious dismissal.

Without a word to Harry, the young goblin began walking in the direction of the offices, the wizard following after him. Harry was led through the hallways, taking too many turns for him to remember how to get back to the main lobby. They finally stopped at a door with a silver plaque on it that said, "Account Manager Ripclaw." The goblin knocked on the door, opening it when he received a reply from someone within.

"Thank you," Harry called to the goblin who had turned to leave without a word. His words caused the goblin to pause for a moment, the only sign that he had heard Harry. With a mental shrug, Harry entered the office, closing the door behind him.

The sole occupant inside the room, Ripclaw, sat in a chair behind a mahogany desk. He gestured for Harry to sit down in one of the chairs across from him as he put some papers to the side.

"Mr. Potter, it is good that you came to see me today. It saves me having to write a letter to request your presence," Ripclaw began in lieu of a greeting.

Harry became a bit nervous. "Am I in trouble Manager Ripclaw?" he asked cautiously.

Ripclaw shook his head slightly. "No Mr. Potter. I am simply referring to the will of your godfather, Sirius Black. He instructed me to speak to you privately before the official reading occurs." Pain gripped Harry's heart at the mention of Sirius, but he used his Occlumency to push the feeling down as Ripclaw continued to speak. "While Lord Black may have been sent to Azkaban, he was never actually convicted of a crime. This means that he was able to keep his status as Lord of the Black family and as your magical guardian." Harry gasped in shock, but Ripclaw wasn't finished yet. "Therefore, his request to have you emancipated is legal. He also named you as the main beneficiary of his estate so you will receive the Black family Lordship and all of their assets, minus what he bequeaths to others in his will. You will gain control over the Black family vault as well as his personal vault."

Harry kept his voice calm as he replied to the goblin. "So, I will be able to get emancipated and become Lord Black? What all does that entail?"

"Yes, to your first question. As an emancipated minor, the trace will be removed from your wand automatically and you will be eligible to get your apparition license. You will also be able to take up the Black Lordship. Technically, you aren't required to do so until you turn seventeen, but I suggest you do so to prevent anyone else from making a claim to it. When you become Lord of the house, you will be able to appoint a proxy to vote in the Wizengamot or do so yourself. You will also be responsible for the members of the family with the right to kick out or bring in any member you choose."

Harry was reluctant to accept the responsibility but didn't want it to go to the Malfoys. "Very well, I will become emancipated and the Lord of the Black family," he stated. Then he thought of something else. "What about the Potter family?"

Ripclaw took out a thin folder and a small ring box from his desk before answering Harry. "Due to strange circumstances, Headmaster Dumbledore was able to become appointed as your magical guardian, but only for the Potter family. Essentially you had two magical guardians. While Lord Black was able to emancipate you, he was not able to give you access to the Potter lordship. You will not be able to take up that mantle until you are seventeen or become either married or bonded, whichever happens first."

Harry was disappointed by that but understood there was nothing that could be done about it. "Okay, before we begin, will anyone be personally notified about these changes in my status?"

"No. The emancipation will be filed by magic, not by hand. Your trace will also be magically removed, so no one will be notified unless they ask about your status. Normally, your magical guardian would receive a notice from us, but because this concerns the Black family instead of the Potter family, I see no reason to inform him," Ripclaw said, something resembling a smirk appearing on his face. "As for the lordship, only the members of the family will learn about it, but that can be delayed until the official will reading."

Harry nodded in acceptance, glad that he would at least have time to figure things out before anyone else found out. "Thank you, Manager Ripclaw," he replied sincerely.

"You're welcome Mr. Potter. Now, first you have to sign this form to make your emancipation official. Then it will be sent along to the Records Department of the Ministry, though it will be filed by magic, not by hand." Ripclaw handed Harry a blood quill to use. He hated those things due to Umbridge, but knew they were used for official documents such as this. Quickly he signed where necessary before practically throwing the quill on the desk.

Ripclaw took the form and placed it to the side before handing the ring box to Harry. The wizard opened it up to examine the ring. It was a simple black band with the Black family motto, _Toujours Pur_, written in silver along it. "Do I just put it on?" he asked the goblin.

"Yes. The family magic will decide if you're worthy of the title. It won't kill you if you aren't, though," Ripclaw assured him.

Harry took a deep breath before slipping the ring onto his left pinky. There was a second of nothing before he felt like his entire life was being examined. It wasn't painful, just a bit overwhelming, especially since he saw the memories as the flashed in front of his eyes. He couldn't see Ripclaw or the office. It was like he was trapped inside his head as he watched from the backgrounds. Finally, after what felt like hours, but was only five minutes in reality, it stopped, and his vision returned to normal. He was surrounded by a bright silver glow to signify the Black family's acceptance of him as their Lord.

"That was intense," he muttered as he looked down at the ring that resized to fit him. Then he looked back up at Ripclaw who handed him two keys.

"Congratulations Lord Black. These are the keys to your new vaults. Is there anything you wish to get done today?" Ripclaw asked.

"I just need a list of properties that I now own, and I want to visit Sirius's personal vault before I leave," Harry requested. Ripclaw pulled out another file and handed it to him. He read through the list carefully for a few minutes. Many of them were out of the country, which while appealing, would not be appropriate for his plan to take on Voldemort and his followers. He noticed that Grimmauld Place was listed on there and wondered if he could take control of the wards on it. "As Lord Black, can I take control of all wards on the property?"

"You can. 'I Harry James Potter, Lord of the Black Family, take control of this property and the wards upon it. So mote it be,' when you are in front of it with your wand drawn. It will give you complete control and you will be able to reassign the secret keeper for the Fidelius charm on it. In fact, you can reconfigure it to decided where people can enter the house from if you so choose," Ripclaw explained.

Harry nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then I know where I will be staying. Thank you for all of your help today Ripclaw."

"You're welcome," Ripclaw said as he pressed a button on his desk and a minute later the same young goblin appeared at the door. "He will take you to visit your godfather's vault. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to owl me."

They both bid each other farewell before Harry got up and followed his goblin guide. Unlike before, the goblin acknowledged his presence before leading him to the vault carts. Several minutes later, Harry found himself standing in front of Vault 731, Sirius's vault. He inserted the key into the door, watching as it opened a few seconds later. Taking a deep breath to brace himself for what he would find, he stepped inside. He took a moment to gaze at the contents within. There was a sizeable pile of galleons stacked to one side and two trunks on the other side. Harry put some of the galleons in one of the bags nearby before walking over to the trunks. One of them looked like a school trunk, but the other had a note lying on top of it, with his name written on it. Nervously, Harry picked up the envelope and removed the letter inside, bracing himself for what it might say.

To Harry

If you're reading this then I am dead, and the war is still going on. If so, then I am sorry for leaving you once again, but if I died fighting for you, then it was worth it. I know you will be upset but try not to mourn me too long or blame yourself for my death. I love you and I know you wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt me. If you want to honor my death, then live your life to the fullest. Not for anyone else, but for yourself. Also, give anyone who stands against you Hell.

Now, inside of this trunk, I have a few things that I put together to help you survive this war. First, I had a bank account set up in the muggle world for you to use in secret. All of the information concerning it along with a debit card is in an envelope in the trunk. There's also a passport with a fake I.D., just in case you want to travel outside of the country. It matches the info of the debit card. Second, I had a special jacket made for you to protect you when you're in a fight. It is made of dragon-hide, has an expanded pocket to store things, and has a hood that completely hides your face and is charmed to not fall off during a fight. Third, is a pair of boots that are charmed to hide your footfalls and protect your feet from extreme environments. It will come in handy if you need to do a stealth mission or just not get caught. I also put an auror-grade wand holster in there as well as a dagger made of goblin steel. I hope these items will keep you alive to fight another day and always remember: I am so proud to call you my godson.

Love

Padfoot.

P.S. I expect not to see you until you've gotten married, had children, and lived a long life, so no dying early.

A few tears leaked down Harry's face, but he quickly wiped them away. He grabbed the trunk and the letter and left the vault. When he got outside of the bank, he returned to the back alley he used to get there and called for Dobby and Winky to take him to Grimmauld Place.

\- H.M. –

When he arrived at the house, he did as Ripclaw instructed, making himself the secret keeper of the house. He also made it so that no one could apparate, portkey, or floo into the house without their names being on the ledger, something he knew about thanks to Sirius. Then he took a cleansing breath before going inside, Dobby and Winky by his side.

"Kreacher, come here right now!" Harry commanded after he put a silencing ward around Mrs. Black's portrait so she wouldn't start screaming. A few seconds later, the pitiful elf appeared, completely distraught.

"NO! Kreacher does not want to serve half-blood master!" the elf babbled over and over.

"Silence" Harry commanded, shutting the elf up. "I am now the Lord of the Black family." Harry declared, showing the elf his ring before continuing. "Therefore, you have to serve me, whether you like it or not. You claim to honor the Black family, yet you have allowed their manor to fall into a deplorable state. I expect you to start cleaning this place up, and I mean actual cleaning. You will start by removing Mrs. Black's portrait from the front entrance and placing it into your quarters. For today, focus on cleaning up the master bedroom and bathroom as well as the kitchen. You can start on the rest of the house tomorrow. Before you begin, know that you are not allowed to communicate with anyone about my ascension to lordship, directly or indirectly, without my express permission. You are also not allowed to leave this house unless it is to help me until I say so. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes M-master," Kreacher replied reluctantly.

"Good. Dobby, I need you to help Kreacher and to set aside a room to hold any dark items you come across. Winky, I need you to go out and stock the kitchen with food. You may use this bag to get what you need."

"Yes Harry."

"Yes master."

Harry thanked them before they disappeared to start working on the jobs, he had given them. He moved to the training room he, Sirius, and Tonks had used in secret when he was at the house. Minerva had also helped him train in there when she had the time.

Being back at the house where his godfather had been kept as a virtual prisoner messed with his emotions, so he spent about two hours destroying training dummies to expel his anger. Then he sat down in a meditative pose to begin working on his next plan. Knowing that it was possible to use his connection with Tom to see through his eyes, he had decided to try and intentionally get into the dark wizard's mind to spy on him.

To begin, he closed his eyes, retreating to his mindscape. He went toward the source of their connection and began slowly trying to use it to reach Tom without being discovered. It was slow going and after an hour of work, he still hadn't made any progress. But Harry was known for his determination, so he patiently kept at it.

Harry was finally successful after the second hour. He began to hear thoughts in his head that did not belong to him and feel pain that wasn't his. Stifling his joy at his accomplishment, he began to cautiously peruse the wizard's mind, finding out that Tom's attempted possession of him hurt the dark wizard much more than he thought it had. He stayed in there for a bit longer, learning that the Death Eaters planned on taking some of their new recruits on raids soon. He promised to try again tomorrow morning to find out the dates for them before returning back into his own mind. After storing away the information he had gathered, he retreated back to the real world.

When he went into the kitchen, he found that it was much cleaner than he had ever seen it, like it was brand new. Winky, who was standing at the stove preparing dinner for him, looked up at his entrance.

"You should sit down at the table Master Harry. Dinner is almost ready," Winky stated. Harry did as she said and a few moments later, he was served a plate of roast beef with roast potatoes and green beans. "I did not know what you liked, so I made this," she said apologetically, expecting negative criticism.

"This is perfect Winky," Harry assured her. He took a bite of the meat, humming in satisfaction. "You are an excellent cook Winky," he remarked as he dug into his meal. Winky blushed at the praise, unused to compliments. Harry ate two servings of the meal, starved from his physical and mental exertions. When he finished, Winky shooed him out of the kitchen before he could wash the dishes, though he did tell her to make sure she and the other two elves ate dinner.

Dobby appeared to lead him to his bedroom when he was kicked out of the kitchen. The room was just as clean as the kitchen. He went to take a long shower in the cleaned-up bathroom, allowing the hot water to help soothe his aching muscles. Throwing on a pair of sweats, he called the three elves to thank them for their hard work and ordered them to make sure they ate before going to sleep.

When he was alone, he opened up the trunk to see the items his godfather left for him. The envelope with the bank account information and passport was there and he briefly looked through the papers to find the amount of money he had, noting that it was quite large. The photo on the passport was a good picture as well and Sirius had chosen the name James Black. Then he pulled out the jacket, admiring it. It was a loose fitting, hip length black hooded jacket. Putting it on, he instantly felt comfortable as he moved around in it to see if it hindered his movement at all. The boots were dark grey, made of the skin of a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon. They were breathable and masked his sound, just as Sirius had written. Harry also tested out the auror wand holster until he could draw his wand in less than a second. He silently thanked his godfather for the thoughtful gifts, though he wished the man had been able to give them to him in person.

That night, Harry barely got more than an hour of sleep, plagued with nightmares about his friends getting hurt or blaming him for everything.

\- H.M. –

While Harry and his elves were settling in at Grimmauld Place, many people were freaking out about Harry's disappearance. His friends on the Hogwarts Express looked everywhere for him after he didn't return to their carriage for over two hours. Unfortunately, they couldn't find him anywhere. Hermione and Ron suggested that maybe he was hiding under his invisibility cloak, so the group decided to look for him when they got to the station.

As the train completed its journey, they all got onto the platform and spread out to look for Harry. No matter where they looked, the still couldn't see him. The Order members who had come to see Harry get home looked around as well when Hermione informed them that Harry was missing. Remus went to stand by the Dursleys to wait for Harry to get to them, but it was in vain. Harry was well and truly missing. Hermione, Neville, and Luna had to leave with their guardians, but they made Ron and Ginny promise to write them when Harry was found. The rest all went to the Burrow to meet with Dumbledore, Mad-Eye having sent a Patronus message to let their leader know of the situation. Everyone, including Minerva arrived at the Burrow to discuss what they should do next.

"It is imperative that we find Harry before harm befalls him. Does anyone know where he might have gone?" Dumbledore asked the group at large when they were all gathered around the table. Ron and Ginny described how Harry had isolated himself from everyone since the Ministry incident. Molly Weasley was sobbing uncontrollably as Harry's friends looked around in distress. Others tried to make suggestions, but Dumbledore remained silent, offering nothing. Minerva looked at the man suspiciously. She suspected that he knew why Harry had disappeared, even though he remained silent.

Eventually, the Order members agreed to stand guard at several different possible locations Harry could have chosen to go, hoping they would spot him. As Minerva left the meeting, she had come to the conclusion that Harry would not be found unless he wanted to be found. She was aware of just how resourceful he was. _Please be okay Harry_, she thought sadly. She didn't know what she would do if something really bad happened to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry's Minerva

AN: Sorry about the delay but I'm trying to figure out where I want this story to go. Also, thanks to everyone who read and followed my story.

AN: I made a small edit to the end of the chapter to reflect that Travers and Macnair did not manage to get a cut on the back of Harry's head. The jacket that he has on protects him from most spell damage but not all blunt force damage and the hood was not removed during the battle so that was not possible. He did suffer a head injury that caused some external bleeding, but that was from being thrown into a wall very hard.

* * *

Chapter 3

The next two days Harry got into a routine. He would wake up in the morning and exercise before eating breakfast. Then he would look around Voldemort's mind for a little bit before going to the Black library to study some of the spells found in the books. He didn't plan on using them, but he knew it was important to know the effects and appearance of them if they were thrown at him. Then he had lunch and spied on Voldemort again before going into the training room to work on his magic, dueling several training dummies at a time to practice fighting when outnumbered. He wore the jacket and boots Sirius had made for him so he could get used to wearing them while fighting, loving the way they didn't hinder his movements a bit as he jumped, dodged, and spun around quickly to avoid spells.

While he trained, his three elves worked hard to clean the manor up throughout the day. They made substantial progress and it began to lose the dark feeling that had filled it before. Still, there were twenty bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a large library, elf quarters with five individual rooms, and three sitting rooms in total, so the elves still had a lot to do. They did manage to remove all of the magical and non-magical creatures hiding away, so at least the house was now pest-free. Harry also made sure they took three meals a day and went to bed by nine at night to prevent them from overworking themselves.

On the morning of the 26th of June, Harry finally was able to learn about a raid taking place that very night. Six new recruits and one, more experienced, Death Eater, who wasn't in the inner circle, were going to attack the family of one of Harry's year-mates, Justin Finch-Fletchley. He carefully extracted the time and place for the attack before exiting Voldemort's mind. _I guess it's showtime_, he thought darkly.

Harry spent the rest of the morning reviewing all of the spells and tactics he knew. In the afternoon he went over his plan with Dobby, having chosen said house-elf to be the one to transport him there and back. Winky made sure he rested to conserve his energy and fed him a filling lunch to bolster his strength. He did as she asked while mentally preparing for the fight ahead of him.

Half an hour before the raid was set to start, Dobby popped Harry to Justin's house, before disappearing quickly. He pulled his hood down as he surveyed the area, looking for a good vantage point to await the Death Eaters' arrival. Knowing where they planned on entering from, he found a bush to hide behind that offered him a decent view of it. As he waited, he checked his mental shields and ran through the possible tactics he could use in the fight. He heard the sound of laughter emanating from the house through an open window, strengthening his resolve to make sure they survived this attack.

Right on time, seven small pops sounded out, signaling the arrival of the Death Eaters. Harry cast the Disillusionment charm over himself before he stood up from his spot behind the bush. He waited patiently as the group moved toward the front door of the house, examining them. He could tell that there were two witches and five wizards, including the leader, in the group. They seemed nervous, yet excited about their raid, making Harry more determined to ruin their night.

When they were in front of the door, they drew their wands and the leader sent a Blasting curse at the door, blowing it back into the house. He heard frightened screams ring out as the Death Eaters began entering in. Harry waited until there was only one left outside before he acted, quickly stunning the wizard. He slowed down the unconscious man's descent to the ground with an Arresto Momentum before casting Incarcerous on him and breaking his wand, effectively incapacitating him. When he was done, the screams got louder in the house, making him run inside to help.

The six remaining Death Eaters had the frightened family trapped on their sofa in the living room and had begun torturing them. Justin was trying to put up a fight, but he was sorely outnumbered. Knowing he needed to get the group's attention, Harry sent three Depulso charms in quick succession, blasting all six of them away from the victims. One of the wizards was slammed into the wall, falling unconscious. Then, before they could recover, Harry transfigured the nearby coffee table into a stone shield to protect Justin and his family from spell fire.

Just as he finished doing so, a wizard and a witch began to engage him, both sending the Killing curse at him. He dodged their attempts, quickly sending his own spells back at them. He knew he had to get rid of them quickly before the others recovered, so he cast Ossium Ruptor (Bone breaker) at the wizard, catching him in the leg and breaking it in two, sending the man to the floor. Harry stunned the man before sending a Confringo at the witch, blasting her through the window behind her.

He didn't have time to see if she was dead because the other three were back on their feet and sending curses his way. He dodged and rolled out of the way, using conjured or transfigured physical shields to block the ones he couldn't evade. The remaining witch managed to hit him on his left side with a dark cutting curse, but his jacket protected him from the damage. The Death Eaters were surprised when he didn't go down, giving Harry time to take another wizard out of the fight with a well-placed and overpowered Flipendo, knocking him back into the stairs. The witch angrily ran toward him, intent on killing Harry for that. _Must be her lover, _he thought scornfully as he sent an Impedimenta and Stupefy at her, slowing her down before knocking her unconscious.

"Who are you?" the leader and sole Death Eater still standing asked angrily, knowing he was completely outmatched.

"I'm here to send a message to your master. Tell him I am coming for him," Harry said, deepening his voice to make it sound different.

The leader glared hatefully at Harry before using his emergency portkey to get away. Harry knew he could have stopped the man, but he wanted his message to be delivered. When the dark wizard was gone, he began tying up the rest of the Death Eaters, all of whom were still alive, and broke their wands, putting them in a pile in the middle of the floor. He used a spell he found in the Black library to mask his magical signature, making it unrecognizable. Then he turned the shield he used to protect the family back into their coffee table.

"You should be safe for the night, but I would suggest you get out of England for the summer," he informed them, using the same deep voice. "Oh, and sorry about the mess," he added before Dobby got him out of there as he heard the pops of apparition signaling the arrival of the aurors.

When he got back to Grimmauld Place, he was forced to sit down at the kitchen table as Winky healed his injuries with the healing supplies she had picked up yesterday. Thankfully he only had minor cuts and bruises. His jacket protected him from any serious wounds. He did have a bruise on his left shoulder from rolling into a wall while dodging a curse, but it wasn't bad enough to truly concern him. When she was done, she fed him dinner before sending him off to bed insisting that he needed his rest.

That night he was able to get a whole five hours of sleep before being woken up by nightmares, satisfied with what he was able to accomplish and the lives he had saved.

\- H.M. –

Harry woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than he had since Sirius's death. He had seen Voldemort's reaction to the failed raid last night and was satisfied that he had pissed the wizard off so much. He did his exercises that morning with a bit of his old enthusiasm in him.

At breakfast, he read the Daily Prophet, his fight splashed onto the front page. They had named him the "Hooded Stranger," and there were two main speculations on who he might be or what his goals were. Some thought he was another dark lord trying to take Voldemort's place. Others thought he was a savior and were grateful he had taken out some of Voldemort's followers. He skimmed through the rest of the paper to see if any mention of his disappearance was there. Fortunately, Dumbledore was managing to keep that information under lock and key. He was also happy to see that the aurors had arrested all of the Death Eaters he left tied up for them. Hopefully they would stay that way.

Harry spent the rest of the day in a better mood, pushing himself harder during his training and keeping to his established schedule, in spite of the slight pain of his injured shoulder. His house-elves noticed his positive mood change and responded to it. Even Kreacher was less grumpy in his presence, having formed a grudging respect for his new master.

\- H.M. –

The next day, he was about to start his perusal of Voldemort's mind when he thought of something Dumbledore had mentioned to him once. It happened after the Chamber of Secrets incident when he was in the man's office and he was asking about his parseltongue ability. Dumbledore claimed that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to him the night he gave him the scar. Harry now wondered if Voldemort had transferred anything else to him that night. He decided he would look more closely at his scar later that day.

He did his usual meditation, learning of another possible attack in the near future, this time on a muggle village. Voldemort hadn't decided when he wanted it to take place yet, so Harry made a mental note to be prepared for it. Then he went through his normal routine for the rest of the day. At lunch, he contemplated sending a letter to his friends to let them know he was alright. After debating with himself, his guilty conscience won out and he sent Hedwig with short letters for Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, and Neville. He simply told them he was alive, in a secret place to train for the next time he faced Voldemort, and they shouldn't worry about him. He wanted to write one to Minerva but decided against it. Their last conversation didn't go well, and he was unsure what he could say to her to fix it. He made sure to tell Hedwig not to wait for any replies before she left so no one could try and track where he was.

\- H.M. –

That night, instead of heading to bed after dinner, he returned to the training room to try his new idea out. Quickly, he got into his usual meditative trance and was in his mindscape seconds later. He went to the place where his scar was and studied it for several moments, trying to think of how he would do this. The area was filled with an inky black substance that emanated a cold and evil aura, similar to that of the Dementors. As he looked closer, he could see that there seemed to be a center to it due to the darker spot in the middle. It was a round shaped patch, but he couldn't find any easy way to reach it.

Eventually he shrugged his shoulders, deciding to simply go with his instincts though he would try to be cautious. He reached his hand out to touch it, feeling the evil intent from it. Then he began to mentally search it, trying to see if there was anything he could learn or knowledge he could absorb, slowly moving further into it. After about ten minutes he finally delved deep enough to feel something beyond pure evil. There seemed to be some sort of presence nearby, though he couldn't really explain what it might be. He followed that path for a minute until he reached the center he'd seen during his earlier examination. Bracing himself, Harry slowly reached out until his fingers touched it and that's when things got crazy.

Immediately, he was physically assaulted by some strong presence as it latched onto him with great force, as if to possess or control him. Though he was panicking, Harry fought back as hard as he could, refusing to let whatever it was get a firm hold on him. The presence pushed against him continuously and he was hard pressed to fight back. After several tense moments where Harry thought he was going to be overcome, he finally was able to break free, but it wasn't a clean break. As he subdued it, he was slammed with several different images running through his mind. Harry hurriedly retreated from the area pushing what he realized were memories into the back of his mind behind a locked box until he was ready to deal with them.

A moment later, he completely retreated from his mind, taking several deep breaths to calm himself. He was sweating profusely as if he had just finished exercising.

"What the heck was that?" he asked aloud, though there was no one to answer him. It took him almost thirty minutes as he tried to figure out what just happened. He thought of trying to get some sleep but knew it would be futile. There was no way he could sleep without looking at those memories on his mind. So, he braced himself before diving back into his mindscape. Cautiously, he reached out to where he had thrown the memories in his haste. _Here we go Harry_, he thought right before he touched them.

He had already suspected it, but the first memory he encountered confirmed his suspicions that these were indeed Voldemort's memories, based on the familiar young boy he was currently observing. Already aware of the dark wizard's childhood, he decided to skip through the younger memories for now, promising himself to view them later. Thankfully, they were in chronological order, so he was easily able to jump ahead to the wizard's teenage years.

Harry started viewing them more closely when he got near the time Voldemort created the diary that possessed Ginny. At first, he was confused about what the wizard had been trying to accomplish until he started learning about what horcruxes were through the memories. After he heard the full description, he was horrified, knowing that Voldemort had succeeded in making them – likely more than one. He was proven correct when he saw him turn the diary into one – the same diary Ginny had been possessed by. _Well at least we managed to destroy that one_, he thought bitterly.

Despite his disgust with the lengths the man had gone to for immortality, Harry continued watching to learn as much as he could about the items. That's when the memories got a bit hazy, unfortunately. He was able to learn what items the man had used, but not where they might be and their protections. Harry assumed that some of the memories got corrupted during his struggle, but he was still disappointed. He hoped that he would be able to learn more after his mind had settled. He did make a mental note of the items Voldemort corrupted which included: Riddle's diary, which was destroyed; the Gaunt's ring; Slytherin's locket; Hufflepuff's cup; Ravenclaw's diadem; and his snake Nagini.

Then, there was a time skip and next thing Harry knew, he was witnessing the night his parents died. He was practically mute as he watched his father valiantly fight off Voldemort, trying to buy his family as much time as he could. He almost cried out when James fell to the Killing curse, fifteen minutes later. Then he watched the murderer saunter up the stairs as if he had all of the time in the world. When the dark wizard confronted his mother, he looked around and noticed the runic symbols she had written on the floor. He also noticed a runic symbol on his younger version's forehead in the shape of his infamous scar. He promised himself he would look into that more closely later before turning back to his mother and Voldemort.

Lily stood defiantly in front of the most feared wizard in Magical Britain, refusing to move even an inch, in spite of being offered her life. The respect he had for his mother increased after witnessing her bravery firsthand. Then Voldemort killed her without remorse as well before he walked toward the crib containing baby Harry. The evil man smiled cruelly, disparaging the idea that Harry would contain any power to defeat him. Then Voldemort used the same curse he killed the baby's parents with, expecting immediate death.

However, that is not what happened. Harry watched as some sort of shield sprang into place, blocking the curse and rebounding it back at Voldemort, throwing the man to the floor. Harry wasn't focused on Voldemort though, looking intently at his younger form to see if anything else happened to him. Something did happen, but it didn't bring Harry any peace; quite the opposite in fact.

He watched as first two small golden lights headed for his chest. One came from his mother's body and the other seemed to come from his father because it came through the wall from the direction of the stairs. That's not what upset Harry. No, it was the black inky substance that shot from the disintegrating body of Voldemort, heading straight for his scar and being absorbed into his body. The same substance Harry saw get absorbed into the objects that were turned into horcruxes.

Harry forcefully expelled himself from his mindscape, letting loose a loud scream of anger, pain, and fear. His elves came to check on him, but Harry was too far gone into his own world to hear their pleas. "No, no, no, no," Harry repeated over and over again. He pulled his knees to his chest and rocked himself slowly as he continued to chant the same word as if it was a mantra. However, no matter how many times he said the word, it didn't change anything. _I'm a horcrux. He turned me into a monster just like him_ he thought with horror and disgust. This was why he could tell when Voldemort was nearby. This was the source of their connection.

The elves, unsure what else to do, moved him to his room and put him to bed. Harry was too distraught to really notice. Eventually, Harry passed out from pure exhaustion and his elves kept watch over him during the night. His dreams were filled with images of himself committing even worse crimes against humanity than Voldemort ever had. He saw himself burn worlds and annihilate innocents with reckless abandon, yet he couldn't wake up from the dreams no matter how hard he tried.

Harry spent most of the next day in his room, refusing to eat or drink. He stayed in bed staring at the ceiling in despair, sinking deeper and deeper into a depression. No matter how hard they tried, the three house-elves couldn't get Harry to do anything. That night though, Harry went into the training room and blasted training dummy after training dummy, trying to exhaust himself enough that he wouldn't have any energy to dream. When he was done, he took an hour-long shower, futilely scrubbing his skin raw as he tried to remove the taint from him. It didn't work because he was still disgusted with himself afterwards. His plan to have no dreams failed as well and he was tormented with the same nightmares of the previous night.

\- H.M. –

The next morning, Harry came to some conclusions. First, he realized that as a horcrux, he would have to die in order for Voldemort to be killed. He had seen no methods to destroy a horcrux without destroying the object that contained it (not that he looked too hard). This suited him just fine because he wanted die anyway, unable to live with the knowledge that a piece of Voldemort's soul was living inside of him. Second, he realized that Dumbledore had to know of this, so any chance of him working with the man was almost completely gone. He didn't think he could be civil with a man that ruined almost every chance of happiness for him, knowing of the proverbial death sentence hanging over him. Third, he was done holding back against the Death Eaters. If he was going to die sometime soon, the least he could do is take as many of them possible with him. Not that he was going to start throwing Killing curses around, but he wouldn't concern himself with their survival if it meant innocent lives were saved.

With that decision made, he got out of bed and began his normal routine, working himself even harder than before. At breakfast, he read the Daily Prophet to learn that Sirius had been declared innocent posthumously, information that did nothing to calm his anger. In fact, he had to work hard to control his anger after that before he destroyed the kitchen. During his magical practice, he started using some of the spells from the Black library. He stopped himself from using dark curses or the Unforgivables, not wanting to corrupt his soul any more than the horcrux already did, but he did learn some of the elemental spells. He was especially talented with the fire and air ones, so he focused on them. Winky and Dobby tried to talk to him throughout the day, but he only gave them short or one-word answers before walking away.

Kreacher, however, stayed completely clear of Harry, cleaning up in silence. The elf had begun to truly respect his new master, seeing the strength and potential within him, but now he was afraid. He knew if his master went dark, Harry would be much worse than Voldemort. He seriously hoped that wouldn't happen to him.

\- H.M. –

The next day during his meditation, Harry learned of a raid happening that night. It would involve ten new recruits, six regular ones, and two inner circle members: Travers and Macnair. Even though he would be outnumbered eighteen to one, he still was going. His inner voice was screaming at him to rethink his decision, but he had stopped listening to it yesterday.

At breakfast, Harry informed Dobby of the time and location of the raid, instructing him to be ready an hour before the start time. He spent most of the day in the training room working on the elemental spells, trying to get them down as much as he could. Then he took an hour-long nap after a big lunch to gain his strength back.

When it was time, Dobby looked solemnly at Harry, not wanting to take him to the raid but knowing he had no choice but to obey a direct order. Winky begged him not to go while Kreacher stood by helplessly, but Harry shook his head at them.

"I know you're worried about me, but this is something I have to do," he said firmly. "Dobby, it's time to go." Dobby nodded sadly before popping him to the location. Harry forced Dobby to leave before he began surveying the area. It was a small village with only one main road in and out. There were a few dirt roads that led to three farms. About thirty different buildings total were scattered around the village, two-thirds of them residential. In the middle of the village, all of its people seemed to be gathered in front of the main building for some sort of celebration. Harry counted around fifty people, fifty lives that he had to save. This only strengthened his resolve to get these people out and to seriously hurt those who planned to turn this joyous occasion into a tragedy.

He thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to get these people out of there before the Death Eaters showed up. Eventually he decided he would have to put them all into a fully warded area. He hoped he would be able to convince them to listen to him, but he would knock them all unconscious if he had to. With that decision made, he quietly walked to where everyone was congregated, pulling his hood up. When he got there, a few people noticed him and told those around them about his presence. Within a few minutes, he had everyone's attention.

"Who are you?" a big burly man asked. He seemed to be the spokesman for the group, so Harry turned to face him.

"Who I am is not the important question. Why I'm here is," Harry responded. "I've come to warn you of an imminent attack on your village. Some real evil people, murderers, are going to be here shortly, and they have every intention of annihilating every single person in this village – men, women, and children." Some people let out gasps of fright and Harry paused a moment to let that sink in. "I can help you but you're going to have to trust me."

"Why should we trust you? How do we know that you aren't with these so-called attackers?" the same man asked. Harry decided to nickname him Chief.

"Because, if I wanted to kill you all, you would be dead. But, since you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you." Before anyone could say anything else, Harry had his wand drawn and was casting the defensive spell, Ignis Murus, behind him and away from the people. They all gasped as a huge wall of fire appeared behind the hooded stranger. "Do you believe me now?" Chief nodded his head mutely after all of his fellow villagers looked at him for direction.

"Good. I need for you to lead us to a building that can fit all of you in it on that end of your village," Harry instructed, pointing to his left. Chief nodded in compliance, making Harry silently sigh in relief. The villagers gathered everyone together, picking up the small children as they started moving in the direction Harry specified. Chief picked the last building on the right and began ushering all of his people in.

When the Chief entered in at last, Harry spoke up again. "You're probably going to hear a lot of noise, but no one is to leave this building until men and women in blue robes come get you. Do you all understand?" Everyone nodded their heads in unison. "Good, I'm going to cast some protective wards around this building, so you will be safe, I promise." Harry closed the door and began to do just that, using every ward he had learned from Minerva to protect the people. Satisfied with his work, he went back to the center of the village and used the tables and chairs around him to set up some barriers and blockades to give him an advantage against being outnumbered. Then he climbed to the top of the main building of the town to give himself a good vantage point, waiting for the Death Eaters to arrive.

The sound of eighteen apparition pops signaled the groups arrival. Slowly they stalked into the town, looking everywhere for the sign of people. The lack of sound seemed to unsettle them, making Harry smirk before he got down from his position. He took note of everyone's positions before he cast the Fumos charm, a thick smoke emitting from his wand and spreading out over his makeshift battlefield. Then without warning, he sent three Bombarda charms in the direction of his opponents, starting the battle.

Harry dodged out of the way of a few spells heading for him before he sent a Reducto their way, hearing the satisfying scream of pain letting him know his spell made contact with someone. After a few minutes of spells flying everywhere, one of the Death Eaters cleared the smokescreen, having come to their senses. Harry counted fifteen of them still standing. _Well at least that took out some of them_, he thought as he spun out of the way of a Killing curse.

"It's only one person!" Travers shouted, emboldening his group.

Harry only smirked at them as he sent a Ventus Vulnus (Wind Slash) in the man's direction, hitting two Death Eaters near the him, though he managed to jump out of the way. The battle got serious then, Harry's opponents trying to keep him off balance by overwhelming him with spell fire. Harry was not deterred however, as he used the environment around him to even the odds, transfiguring things into stone and glass shields. He even threw conjuration in the mix, making shields out of thin air when necessary. When those were blasted, he would send the broken shards back at the attackers. He also made great use of the elemental spells, hitting them with waves or slashes of wind and whips and blasts of fire. Every time he got one of them one on one, he used Ossium Ruptor and the Stunning charm to take them out of the fight permanently. He also used the traditional blasting and exploding spells to knock them back when too many got too close, knocking a few into the buildings where they crumpled to the floor.

Harry got hit as well. One managed to catch his left leg with a burn curse while another blasted him into a building, injuring his back and his head. When he got up from that, his jacket fell open allowing a dark cutting curse to strike his abdomen. However, he ignored every injury, so focused on his mission and filled with adrenaline that he didn't feel them.

After about thirty minutes of battle, there were only five left, including Travers and Macnair. Harry was starting to feel the effects of using so much magic, but he persevered, standing tall against his remaining opponents.

"Who are you?" Macnair asked.

"Someone who doesn't fear your master," Harry retorted scornfully.

"Do you think you're funny boy? Wait until my master gets ahold of you. We'll see who's laughing then!" Travers yelled, angry at his opponent's disrespect of the Dark Lord.

"Seeing as he has trouble killing a single underaged wizard, I think my chances of survival are pretty high," Harry replied sarcastically. "Anyway, first you have to catch me." He sent an overpowered Deprimo, causing everyone except for the two inner circle Death Eaters – who managed to throw up shields – to be thrown back several feet. Harry didn't have time to worry about if they were dead because he was immediately engaged with his two remaining opponents. Tired as he was, he still managed to keep up with them, dodging and deflecting their spells. They managed to break his left hand and bruise or break some ribs, yet he continued to fight. Then, Harry mistimed a movement getting hit by Travers' Cruciatus curse. Harry fell to the ground in pain as the dark wizard held him under the spell for ten seconds before releasing it.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Travers asked cruelly as he put Harry back under the spell for ten seconds again. "No witty comeback, huh?" Macnair chuckled darkly in amusement as Travers sneered down at Harry, casting the curse again.

As they taunted him, Harry was just about ready to give up. The pain wasn't as excruciating as Voldemort's, but it still hurt, and he was tired of living the cursed life he'd been saddled with. He wanted it all to stop. Yet, just as he was about to surrender, the image of Minerva's smiling face popped in his mind. Then he was flooded with images of all his friends and the good times he had with them. Her face was most prominent though, and he focused on it. He realized just how important she had become to him and he knew he couldn't do this to her. She deserved better than this from him. _I don't want to die, not like this_, he thought as he gathered his strength, preparing for an opening.

The two Death Eaters verbally taunted him for a minute longer before Travers cast the curse again. This time Harry was ready for him though. Fighting through the pain, Harry managed to lift his arm up and fired a Bone Breaker at his current tormentor, hitting the man in the neck. Travers fell down to the ground, dead. Harry didn't think about that though as he saw the Killing curse rushing toward him. He knew there was no way he would be able to move in time, so instead he gathered all of his remaining magic up, willing it to take him away from there before the curse could hit him. _Take me back home,_ he thought desperately. Right before the deadly curse came into contact with him, he vanished without a sound. Macnair looked at the spot in utter shock, trying to figure out where Harry had gone. Then he heard the sound of several people apparating there and knew he had to go before the aurors saw him. He used his emergency portkey to get away, trying to figure out how he was going to explain this to the Dark Lord.

Meanwhile, Harry travelled for a few seconds before he stopped at his intent-driven destination, his body slammed to the ground upon arrival. He fell unconscious almost immediately after. The person who he landed in front of almost jumped out of their skin at his sudden arrival. Then they recognized who it was and gasped in shock and fear.

"Harry!"


	4. Chapter 4

Harry's Minerva

AN: This chapter is a bit of a filler, so sorry if it seems a bit slow. The next one will have the conversation between Harry and Minerva and the beginning of their plans so it should be better.

Also I made a small edit to the end of the chapter 3 to reflect that Travers and Macnair did not manage to get a cut on the back of Harry's head. The jacket that he has on protects him from most spell damage but not all blunt force damage and the hood was not removed during the battle so that was not possible. He did suffer a head injury that caused some external bleeding, but that was from being thrown into a wall very hard. You don't have to read the chapter over if you've already read it though.

* * *

Chapter 4

Minerva McGonagall was returning from a stroll through the forest that surrounded her home. She had just been thinking about Harry and what she could do to help him. After long deliberation, she had resolved to find him, wherever he was, and knock some sense into him, literally if she had to. There was no way that him being alone was good for his health, mental or physical, something she knew from personal experience. Plus, he had a bad habit of getting into trouble whether he looked for or it or not, and right now she could sense that he was looking for it. She refused to let someone whom she cared for get themselves killed. Not if she could stop it.

Now, Minerva's home was a mystery to almost everyone. In fact, most people assumed that she lived at Hogwarts full time. There were only five people alive that knew where she lived. Even Dumbledore didn't have access to her home. Minerva also rarely got visitors, especially ones that were unannounced. Therefore, her reaction to a body appearing from out of nowhere, dropping to the ground only a few feet in front of her, can be excused – she transformed into her tabby cat form before jumping about five feet in the air in fright. Embarrassed, she quickly transformed back and cautiously took a closer look. Her heart almost beat out of her chest when she realized who it was.

"Harry!" she screamed in horror. Within seconds, she was kneeling down by his side with her wand drawn as she cast a basic diagnostic charm on him. He was alive and breathing on his own, but his clothes were bloody, his head and abdomen were bleeding badly, his left pant leg was burned, his body was tremoring, and he was unconscious. Overall, he looked like he had been in a fight for his life. As worry tried to overtake her, she had to shake her head to clear it. Right now, she needed to get him inside and call for Poppy. She could worry about what caused his condition later.

Once inside, Minerva lay down on the sofa carefully before heading toward the fireplace. After taking only two steps, she was interrupted by three more pops of apparition. She spun on her heels, wand out and ready to defend Harry from the threat. It turned out to be three familiar house-elves, however, causing her to lower her wand a bit. She didn't drop it completely though, showing that her auror-honed wariness was not forgotten.

"Dobby," she stated cautiously, addressing the excitable elf. Kreacher and Winky were with him as well, making for an odd group. "What are you three doing here?"

"We felt our master was in danger Professor McGonagall but couldn't feel him through the bond. We came as soon as we could feel him again," Dobby replied, the other two nodding in agreement.

Minerva didn't have time to ponder what that meant or the obvious physical changes in Dobby and Winky. "Harry is alive but very hurt. I'm going to get Poppy so she can heal him," Minerva quickly explained before running to the fireplace, throwing some floo powder into it to make the call. The elves gathered around Harry as she waited for Poppy to answer her call. Winky, trying to be helpful, removed his clothing down to his boxers so the healer would have easier access to his injuries. She put the special jacket and boots to the side to be cleaned since they suffered no damage, while vanishing the rest.

"Minerva, what seems to be the matter?" Poppy asked when her face appeared in Minerva's view a long minute later.

"Harry's hurt. He somehow apparated to me, but he's unconscious and his clothes are all bloody and burned…" Minerva babbled, the panic evident in her voice.

"I'll be right over," Poppy declared firmly before disappearing to get some supplies. A minute later, the healer was stepping into the living room. She deposited the case of supplies on the coffee table before going to the sofa, her wand already drawn. Seeing how much blood was on his body, she spelled a Blood-Replenishing potion into his system as a precaution. Then she scanned his entire body twice to make sure her results were accurate before she started working to heal him.

First, she used her wand and a Wound-Cleaning potion to clean his body up and remove all of the blood so she could see all of his injuries clearly. Next, she had to stitch up the cut on the right side of his abdomen due to the dark nature of the injury. He had a cut on the back of his head as well, but she was able to close it up with her wand. She applied some Murtlap and Dittany to both cuts and covered them up. Then she rubbed Burn-Healing paste to his left leg, covering it up as well. There was severe bruising on his back, and he had two bruised ribs on his lower left side all of which had to be treated with Bruise-Removing paste. To make him more comfortable, she put a padded wrap on his back to avoid aggravating it any further. The rest of his injuries were minor and easily healed, including his broken left hand and soon enough, Poppy was finished. She cleaned him up once more before turning to face her audience.

"How bad is he?" Minerva asked cautiously.

Poppy sighed before listing all of his injuries. "He has a cut on his abdomen from a dark curse, a cut on the back of his head from blunt force, severe bruising on his back, two bruised ribs, and a 2nd degree burn on his left leg. All of those should fully heal, though he'll likely be left with scars. He is currently in a coma due to the combination of a concussion, Cruciatus exposure, and severe magical exhaustion. Overall, he looks like he just fought a war and barely survived."

"How bad is the Cruciatus Exposure?" Minerva asked, afraid it might have damaged his mind.

"I can't say for sure," Poppy admitted sadly. "If he is able to wake up from the coma on his own within the next few days, then I think he will be okay. If not…well I wish I could give you a better answer. He is breathing on his own, which is always a good sign." Seeing the despair on her friend's face, Poppy tried to give her some more hope. "I know it looks bad but just remember that Harry is a fighter and has a tendency to survive things others can't."

"I know," Minerva replied, hoping for another Harry Potter miracle.

Poppy pushed down her own worry for her patient before finishing her explanation. "For right now, all you can do is keep a watch over him. I'll come over twice a day to check on him and reapply the salves and pastes to his injuries. I would bring him to the Hospital wing, but I figured you don't want a certain headmaster to know where he is at the moment." Poppy was well aware of Minerva's anger with Dumbledore over his treatment of Harry and agreed with her.

"Yes, that would be best for right now," Minerva replied, knowing that Dumbledore couldn't find out about Harry until she had talked to the young wizard herself. _Maybe not even after that_.

"Noted," Poppy acknowledged. "I'll make sure to be discreet about my comings and goings from the castle to avoid his suspicion. Now, do you want to put him in your spare bedroom upstairs?"

"Yes, the one with its own bathroom, right across from mine," Minerva replied.

Poppy led the way upstairs, carefully levitating Harry in front of her. When she had him situated on the bed and under the covers, she turned to make a few final remarks. "If you need anything or there is any change in his condition, don't hesitate to call me. Also, I want all four of you to make sure you get enough food and rest." The healer looked at Minerva and the three house-elves individually before continuing. "I know how worried you are about him, but you're of no use to him if you're exhausted or famished. In fact, I suggest you take shifts watching him to avoid that." When all of four of them voiced their agreement and thanked her for her help, Poppy bid them a good night.

Now that things had settled down, Minerva turned to the strange trio of house-elves. "May I ask how you came to be Harry's elves?"

Dobby and Winky looked at each other, unsure if they should respond. Then they remembered how close Harry was to this woman and they believed their master wouldn't mind them telling her some things. Dobby answered for both of them. "Harry bonded to us the day he left Hogwarts. He bonded us to him as family instead of slaves, changing us. It made us stronger, smarter, and healthier than regular house-elves."

"We can even talk more normally," Winky added shyly."

"Well that explains how he was able to disappear without anyone noticing. That also explains why the two of you look so well," she noted. _Of course, he would find some way to make his house-elves different from the typical ones_. Her thought was bittersweet though, and she hoped she would be able to ask him about it in person soon.

Kreacher stepped forward to answer her as well. "Master is the Lord of the Black family now," the elf stated simply . Minerva looked closer at him, noticing the slight changes in his demeanor. He stood straighter and more dignified. He even spoke of Harry with respect. _If anyone could fix that elf's attitude, it would be you, Harry,_ she thought. It would have amused her if she wasn't so worried about him.

After a moment Minerva focused her thoughts on trying to decide what to do next. She knew she would be staying in the room with Harry until he woke up and figured that she could transfigure the sole chair in the room into a recliner to sleep in. First, she needed to take a shower and she let the elves know so before leaving the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Minerva returned to see Winky and Kreacher had gone, leaving Dobby as the only one left. He informed her that he was taking the first shift.

Hedwig had also appeared and was perched on the headboard of the bed frame. She hooted in greeting and Minerva could tell that meant the owl was staying for the night as well. Then she swooped down to land on Minerva's shoulder, butting her head against the witch's cheek gently in a sign of shared sympathy. Minerva stroked Hedwig's feathers for a moment before the owl flew back up to her previous perch, settling in for the night.

Minerva did the same thing herself, transfiguring the chair into a spacious recliner. Then she sat down, reclining it all the way back to get comfortable before turning to face Harry. As she lay there, her thoughts began to wander, trying to come up with scenarios that would explain his injuries. In an attempt to calm herself, she ran her fingers through his hair, reassuring herself that he was alive, and he would recover. That's all that mattered for now. When he woke up and was up to it, however, he would get a long talking to.

She was even more resolute about the decision she had made before he appeared in front of her. Whether he liked it or not, she was going to knock some sense into him. He could have gotten himself killed and she wouldn't let that happen again. She was going to get to the bottom of what made him act so recklessly to prevent it from happening again.

\- H.M. –

The next morning, Poppy came before 7 to check in on Harry. Minerva, who had managed to get five hours of sleep, was already awake and alert, though she had a crick in her neck from the chair. The house-elves, who had guarded Harry and Minerva in three-hour shifts throughout the night, all reappeared when Poppy arrived.

"Good morning everyone," Poppy greeted. "I assume that you noticed no changes during the night." When all four responded in the negative, she moved to scan over Harry. When there was no sign of a deterioration in his condition, she reapplied the salves and bandages to his wounds which were already starting to look better since last night. She also spelled nutrient potions into his system to prevent dehydration, starvation, and the atrophying of his muscles from disuse. While Poppy was working, Minerva had stretched her body out, thankfully getting rid of the crick in her neck.

"How is he?" Minerva asked when the healer finally turned back to face her.

"He's improving though he doesn't show any signs of waking just yet. His magic is also recharging a bit slowly and his body is still shaking from the Cruciatus, but not as bad as last night. Nothing has gotten any worse though," Poppy explained.

"Do you think he feels any pain?" Minerva asked, voicing a worry she hadn't considered last night.

"No, but I couldn't give him a Pain-Relieving potion at the moment either way. With his coma, the concussion, and the Cruciatus exposure, the potion might do more harm than good," Poppy explained sadly. Minerva nodded in understanding, taking her friend's word for it. "I'll be back later tonight to check on him. Make sure you all take care of yourself while you watch over him."

"We will," Minerva replied. Poppy returned back to Hogwarts after that, leaving Minerva and the three house-elves alone. Before Minerva could say anything, Winky stepped forward and offered to make her breakfast. Unable to find a reason to refuse and understanding that the elf probably needed something to do to distract herself, she accepted. Winky popped away to do so, leaving Minerva with Dobby and Kreacher.

"I can watch over Harry during the day, though you're more than welcome to come check on him whenever you like. If you have anything else to do or orders that Harry gave you before last night, don't hesitate to do them. It'll probably help to have some sort of distraction to stop you from worrying as much," she suggested. Dobby and Kreacher decided to go back to Grimmauld Place and continue cleaning it up, seeing the wisdom in her words.

A few minutes later, Winky returned with breakfast and the Daily Prophet before popping away to work on the manor as well. Alone, Minerva tried to decide what to do to distract herself. Reading didn't appeal to her at the moment and she had no papers to grade. Her only true hobby was dancing, but she definitely wasn't in the mood for that. Out of boredom, she picked up the newspaper Winky had brought for her and saw that Harry's recent adventure was on the front page just like last time. When she had seen the first article about the "Hooded Stranger" a few days ago, she almost immediately knew it was him. In her mind, only Harry would be bold enough to face that many Death Eaters head on without backup. Seeing this as a chance to figure out some of what happened last night, she read through the article, gasping in shock at its contents. To think that he had thought it was a good idea to take on eighteen Death Eaters alone spoke to his state of mind. _What happened to make you risk your life like that, _she thought angrily as she turned her gaze toward him. She knew it had to be bad and was a bit afraid to find out the answer. In the back of her mind though, she was impressed that he had managed to get out of there alive against those odds.

As Minerva was looking at Harry and trying to figure out what was going on with him, an idea came to her that would allow her to help Harry while feeling like she was doing something constructive. With Harry's advanced level of knowledge and skill in Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts and his ability to survive, albeit barely, when very outnumbered, she thought it would be a good idea if he took his N.E.W.T.s over the summer in those two subjects. While she waited for him to wake up, she could prepare a study guide for both subjects. That way he would have less school work to focus on and more time to prepare for his next inevitable confrontation with Voldemort, something Harry would be happy with. Hopefully, it would also mean he had more time to relax, because this latest act obviously showed that he was under entirely too much stress. She ignored the anxious voice in the back of her mind that wondered if he would be okay when he finally woke from his coma.

Mind made up, Minerva went to her private library and searched for the books she would need to make a comprehensive guide for him. Once she found them, she brought a muggle notebook and pen with her back into the room and sat down in her chair. She transfigured one of the nightstands into a desk before getting to work, glancing at Harry periodically as she did. When Poppy came back after 9 that night, Minerva told her about the plan she had come up with for Harry. Poppy approved of it and was also glad that Minerva had something to distract her from her worries.

\- H. M. –

This was their routine for the next three days. Poppy would come early in the morning and late at night to check in on Harry, reapply his salves, change his bandages, and give him nutrient potions. She was able to slip in and out of Hogwarts without anyone noticing her absence. Minerva worked on the study guide for Harry as she watched over him. She only left the room to shower, continuing to sleep in her transfigured recliner at night. The three house-elves would take shifts to watch him during the night. During the day, they would spend most of their time cleaning up Grimmauld Place while checking on Harry periodically. In addition to cleaning up the manor, Winky also prepared all of the meals, making sure everyone had enough to eat and drink.

Harry's condition steadily improved and by the night of the second day after the attack, his magic had fully recharged. Poppy and everyone else were hopeful that with his core now back to full strength, his injuries would heal even faster, and he would wake up soon enough. All of his minor injuries were already fully healed, but the burn on his leg, the cut on his abdomen, and the bruises on his back still needed more time.

The afternoon of the fourth day after the attack, Harry finally woke up. Harry was roused slowly from his coma and it took him a few minutes for his eyes to finally open up. When they did, his vision was blurry and he couldn't recognize anything about his surroundings, causing him to start panicking internally. He remained completely still as he tried to work out where he could be, though his mind was still fuzzy. Then the memories of the Death Eater raid came rushing back to him and he became worried that he had been captured until he realized that he was lying on a comfortable bed and not a prison cell floor. Deciding that he must be in a safe place, he slowly turned his head to see if anyone else was nearby. His gaze fell on Minerva who was working intently on the study guide, though it took him a moment to recognize her through his blurry vision.

"Minerva," Harry called weakly, his voice raspy from disuse. He had to repeat himself several times before Minerva heard him.

Startled, Minerva almost dropped her notebook in surprise as she pushed what she had been working on to the side and turned to face Harry. When she heard the panic in his voice, she quickly went to reassure him. "Easy Harry. You're safe now and I'm right here. Everything is okay," she soothed repeatedly, stroking his hair gently. Kreacher, who was in the room at the time left to go get Poppy while Minerva calmed Harry down.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" Harry asked when he was a little calmer.

Minerva helped him to sit up properly and got him to drink some of the water Winky had set to the side for him when he woke up before she answered his questions. "I don't know how you got here, but you're at my home and you're safe. Don't worry about that right now, though," she said in the same soothing tone. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got ran over by the Knight bus and electrocuted," he said, groaning in pain. He was still trembling slightly from the Cruciatus curse, though Minerva hoped that would go away soon.

"I'd imagine so. You seem have to been through quite an ordeal," she remarked. He tried to say something, but she quieted him before he could speak. "We'll talk about it when you're feeling better. The important thing is that you're alive." Harry was about to respond but he was interrupted by the arrival of Poppy and his three house-elves.

"Well it's good to see you awake and coherent, Harry," Poppy greeted as she walked over to the side of his bed. She scanned over his body before saying anything else. "I need to do a test to make sure the concussion and Cruciatus exposure didn't damage your mind," she informed him.

"Okay," Harry readily agreed, hoping that wasn't the case.

It took Poppy about twenty minutes to finish the test and make a determination. "Your mind is still completely intact despite everything you suffered through," she announced, causing them all to release a sigh of relief. Then the healer listed all of the other injuries he had sustained and their status at the moment. "Now that you're awake, I can give you a potion to ease your pain and get rid of the concussion. I also want you to take a Dreamless sleep potion for the next two nights to ensure that you continue to get the rest you need to heal properly. For the rest of today, I want you to remain in bed." When Harry tried to protest, she cut him off. "You should be fine to walk around a bit tomorrow, but you just woke up and need time to recover from your coma."

"How long have I been out?" Harry asked quietly after he drank the potions for his pain and his concussion.

"For almost four whole days, so I need you to take it easy. Also, no using magic until I say so," Poppy stated sternly. Harry nodded in compliance. "Good, I'll be back to check on you later tonight and will bring the Dreamless sleep potion with me."

"Thank you, Poppy," Harry said.

Then Poppy turned to face Minerva. "Make sure he tries to eat something for lunch and dinner today. Also, go easy on him for today."

"I will," Minerva promised. She didn't plan on talking to him until he was ready.

Poppy left after that. Harry turned to face his elves who had been silent throughout the entire exchange. "I'm sorry I made you guys worry about me," he apologized.

"We are just glad you are okay," Dobby replied, the others nodding in agreement. Harry wanted to say more, but he didn't really have the energy to do so at the moment. Minerva, noticing his exhaustion, asked for Winky to prepare some soup for him to eat.

Then Harry turned back to Minerva to apologize. "I'm sorry…" he began before she cut him off

"I know you are Harry, but now isn't the time to talk about it. You just focus on eating and getting some rest for right now," Minerva stated firmly.

The rest of the day was spent in a tense and awkward silence as everyone tiptoed around the unresolved issues. Minerva continued to work on the study guide, though she didn't explain what she was doing to Harry. Dobby brought him a book to read so he wouldn't get too bored. Since he was able to eat full meals, Winky made sure to feed him as much as he could stand in attempt to give him his strength back. Kreacher and Dobby continued to work on their project, though their mood was improved now that they're master was awake, and they knew he would be okay. Poppy came back that night as promised and made sure Harry took the Dreamless sleep potion before she left. He drifted off shortly after that.

Minerva took a bit more time to fall asleep as many thoughts ran through her head. Now that he was awake, there was a lot they needed to talk about. _At least he's alive Minerva so just hold onto that_, was her last thought before she also succumbed to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry's Minerva

AN: I really meant to finish this during the weekend, but I've been sick for two weeks, so it was hard to concentrate on it. Also, I may be a little late with the next chapter since I have to catch up with some things I've been neglecting while I was sick, but I'll try and finish it as fast as I can.

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Chapter 5

The next day Harry woke up shortly after Minerva did, feeling more alert than he had the previous night. He still wasn't a hundred percent, but he could feel that his concussion was gone.

"How are you feeling?" Minerva asked him when she noticed that he was awake.

"Still pretty sore, though my head feels much clearer. I even seem to have stopped shaking," he replied quietly. "I could really use a shower," he added after a moment.

"When Poppy gets here, you can ask her if it's okay," she stated before they lapsed into an awkward silence, still unsure what to say to each other. Thankfully, it didn't last for long since Winky, who was currently guarding Harry, had gone to retrieve Poppy.

"Good morning you two," Poppy greeted as she walked through the door about five minutes later. Winky, Dobby, and Kreacher silently followed behind her, standing to the side as they watched her tend to their master. Poppy quickly drew her wand and scanned over his body, happy to see that he was steadily improving. "Well, it seems like your concussion has cleared up and you've stopped shaking from the Cruciatus exposure. Your other injuries still need some time until they're fully healed though." Then she looked up at him. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Still a bit sore, but much better. I was wondering if I could get clean, though," Harry replied.

Poppy thought about it for a moment before giving in. "Alright, but you should do it now before I reapply the salves to your wounds."

Harry nodded gratefully before slowly getting out of the bed. Minerva moved to help steady him, which was fine until he came to an embarrassing realization – he was only wearing boxers. "Bloody hell! I'm almost starkers!" he exclaimed as he practically dove back under the covers. His face was burning from his blush.

Poppy shook her head at him, though an amused smirk appeared on her face. "This was much easier when you were sleep, but you don't have anything to be ashamed of Harry." This made Harry turn even redder. The elves left to give him some privacy, Winky going to make breakfast, but Minerva stayed put, though she averted her gaze to make him less uncomfortable. She did have a small amused smirk at his reaction.

After she was able to calm him down, Poppy assisted Harry to the bathroom. Then she removed his bandages, scowling a bit at the scars on his back, curtesy of the Dursleys. She let him get cleaned in privacy. He had to take a bath instead of a shower however, since she didn't want him to stand on his injured leg for longer than necessary. When he was done, she had him sit down on the toilet so she could reapply the salves to his back, leg, and abdomen, wrapping them back up in bandages. Dobby popped in to provide him with some sweat pants and a t-shirt to wear, something Harry thanked the elf for profusely. Feeling much better now that he was clean and clothed, he slowly walked out of the bathroom with Poppy's assistance to sit back down in his bed.

"How do you feel now?" she asked him, an amused smile still on her face.

Harry gave her a small smile. "Like I'm almost human."

"I'm glad. Now you are allowed to move around today, but don't push yourself too hard," she cautioned sternly.

"I'll make sure he behaves," Minerva interjected, giving Harry a stern look as well. He nodded his head quickly in compliance to both of the formidable witches.

"Very well. I'll be by tonight to bring you your Dreamless sleep potion," Poppy said when she was sure he took her warning serious. Then she left him and Minerva alone. As she flooed back to her office, she thought about the inevitable conversation the two would have today, silently hoping it would go okay. _Their friendship is too important to them both for them to lose it_.

Back in the room, Minerva rose to her feet as she turned to face Harry. "Come, let's eat breakfast downstairs. I'm sure you're ready to get out of this room," she stated before helping him stand up. Together, they made their way down to the kitchen where Winky already had breakfast waiting on the table. They ate in silence, both lost in their thoughts as they tried to figure out what they were going to say to each other. Hedwig came in to be petted by Harry as he ate, but that was the only interaction that occurred in the kitchen. After thanking Winky for the meal, Minerva led Harry over to her private library, thinking it would be a more comfortable location for the difficult conversation.

She seated them on a sofa in front of a large window that looked out onto the property. The silence continued for a moment longer before Harry spoke up. "Thank you for taking care of me Professor. I understand if you want me to leave, though," he spoke in a polite but sad tone.

"Why would you think I want you to go?" she asked incredulously, not expecting that comment.

"I…I was horrible to you the last time we talked. I said things I shouldn't have and threw everything you've done for me in your face as if it didn't mean anything. You didn't deserve that and…and I don't deserve your friendship," he explained, looking away from her.

She gently grasped his chin and turned his head to face her. "While I am upset with how our last conversation went, it doesn't mean I do not still consider you my friend," she declared compassionately.

"You shouldn't," he muttered despondently as he looked down in shame.

"Why do you say that?" she asked in concern.

"I'm…I'm not a good person to be around," he replied evasively.

"Harry, you're going to have to explain that more," she pressed.

"You don't want to know. I…I should just go. It'll be better for you that way," he insisted, trying, but struggling to stand up.

Minerva gently made him sit back down on the sofa before standing up in front of him, unable to contain her anger any longer. "No! I will not let you run away from this conversation, not this time. Not when you almost got yourself killed because of it." When Harry was still silent, her patience completely ran out and her tone went cold, letting him know that she was really pissed off. "You will explain what is going on with you. Right. Now."

Harry sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to let it go. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. After the Ministry fight, Dumbledore made me wait in his office so he could talk to me. We argued and…and he told me about a prophecy about me and Tom. A prophecy that he should have told me a long time ago so I wouldn't have gone to the Ministry in the first place." His tone was bitter as he recited it for her.

Minerva usually didn't put much stock in such things, but she knew that Voldemort was suspicious enough to believe them. It explained why he went after Harry when he was just a baby. The monster tried to kill him before he could become a challenge to his power. "He threw this at you right after everything you had been through." When he nodded, she released a breath in anger. "This is why you ran away?" she asked after a moment.

"Partially," Harry admitted. ""When I asked him why he was just now telling me about it, he claimed it was to preserve my childhood. When I pointed out that I had already lost my childhood and innocence before I started Hogwarts and why, he claimed that everything I have been through was necessary for the 'Greater Good'. I'm sure you can guess how well I took that. So, in response I made him aware of how similar I and a certain dark lord's childhoods were and told him to hope I don't follow down his path because I would be much worse, and it would be all his fault. I also destroyed his office."

"This was just an empty threat correct?" Minerva asked warily.

"Yes, I don't plan on becoming like that monster," he clarified, though internally he was doubting if he could keep that promise. "Anyway, after that I kept having the same nightmares over and over. I kept seeing you and everyone else I cared about being killed and blaming me for it. There was nothing I could do to stop them. They…they drove me crazy and I couldn't face it." Harry looked down in shame at his weakness, a single tear falling from his eyes.

"Harry, you should have talked to me about it," she chastised lightly.

"I know, but I was so angry and afraid. I couldn't think straight. So, I pushed you and everyone else away. I spent most of my time in the Room of Requirement and I bonded to Dobby and Winky so they could help me sneak off of the Hogwarts Express shortly after the train started its journey. They took me to Gringotts where I learned about Sirius emancipating me in his will and that he was still my magical guardian, but only through the Black family, not the Potter family." Minerva looked at him in confusion. "I don't really understand it either, but it gave me freedom from Dumbledore, so I didn't question it. I also got ownership of Grimmauld Place, so I went and stayed there. I didn't want to, but it was the easiest place to go and be hidden from everyone since I took control of the wards on the house, including the Fidelius charm. Then…then I started implementing my plan."

Minerva raised an eyebrow at that. "And what plan was that?"

"I decided that since Tom could use our connection to spy on me, I could do the same to him. I was right." Before Minerva could tell him how foolish that was, he pressed on. "I used our connection to learn of possible Death Eater raids before they happened so I could stop them. I discovered two of them. The first one was an attack on Justin Finch-Fletchley and his family. There were six of them. I managed to stop the bastards before they could really hurt anyone, but I let one go so he could deliver a message to his master. The rest I tied up for the aurors to take care of." Harry took another pause unwilling to go on.

"And what about the second attack. The one with eighteen Death Eaters?" Harry kept his head bowed. "What on earth possessed you to face that many enemies on your own?" He still wouldn't reply. "Answer me Harry! Do you have a death wish?"

"Yes!" Harry shouted, finally looking up at her. "I wanted to die! I have to die for Voldemort to be defeated so I figured I might as well get it out of the way!"

Minerva took a step back in disbelief. "Harry," she began shakily, "why would you say that?"

Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about his unfortunate discovery. "After the first raid and the success from spying on Tom, I got overconfident. I thought it was a good idea to probe my scar, so I did it. It was really hard, but I managed to get a lot of Tom's memories from it. Some of them were corrupted, but I managed to learn that the evil bastard made horcruxes, seven of them in total. The last memory I saw was the night my parents were murdered." Harry paused for a moment to regain his composure before continuing. Minerva's heart sunk at him having to see his parents' death but remained silent, though she had a sinking feeling about what he would say next. "I watched as dad fought Tom as long as he could. I saw my mum willingly give her life for mine. But that wasn't the worst part. When he tried to kill me, the protection my parents set up for me stopped him and he started to disintegrate. But…before the memory ended, I saw a black inky substance attach itself to my forehead and seep in through the scar. The same substance that went into the other objects. I am a horcrux."

Minerva couldn't speak as horror gripped her entire being. _NO! He doesn't deserve this after all he's been through_, she thought angrily. She knew what a horcrux was from a friend of hers who studied arcane magic.

"I'm harboring a piece of that monster inside of my head, so it makes me a monster by definition," Harry declared when she didn't say anything. "I have to die so that he can be killed. After that, I didn't think I wanted to live, knowing that he was inside of me. But then, when I had the opportunity to just give up and let Travers and Macnair kill me, I couldn't do it. I wanted to see my friends again. I wanted to see you again, so I fought back, and I escaped. But it doesn't matter because I still have to die."

Minerva knew there was a lot she needed to process about what she had just learned. She wanted to scream and shout about the unfairness of Harry's life, but right now, he needed reassurance. So instead, she sat back down beside him before pulling him into a tight hug. Harry resisted her at first before finally succumbing to his emotions as he sobbed into her shoulder. His body shook as he let go of all of the frustration, fear, disgust, and sorrow that had been building up inside of him since he saw his godfather disappear into the Veil. Minerva cried as well, her tears falling into his hair as she thought about the injustices of his life.

The two of them sat like that on the sofa for a while, sharing in their anguish and trying to gain comfort from each other. When Harry had finally calmed down enough, Minerva pulled away so she could look at him. Harry tried to avoid her gaze, but she was having none of that. "Please look at me Harry," she pleaded. He relented after a few seconds, seeing not disgust in her eyes as he expected, but kindness and compassion. "Harry, you are not a monster. I know you aren't one, because I am your friend and I do not see a monster in you. I see a young man who has been dealt a horrible hand in life yet manages to still have a good heart in spite of it." She placed her hand on his heart to emphasize her statement.

Harry, seeing the sincerity in her eyes and hearing it in her voice, wanted to believe her words. "I'm so, so sorry Minerva, for everything. I didn't mean any of it, I swear. Please forgive me." He didn't think he deserved her forgiveness, but he hoped she would give it to him anyway.

"It is already forgiven," Minerva assured him gently before her tone became sharper. "But I want you to understand me very clearly Harry James Potter. If you ever do something so foolish as to try and fight a war on your own, I will turn you into a toad. I understand that you're afraid, but you need to realize that you are not alone. What you do affects those who care about you, affects me. How do you think we would feel if you had died that night? I for one would be devastated." She gently placed a finger on his chin before he could look down. "I know you are dealing with a lot right now, but you don't have to handle it alone. I am here for you, every step of the way, so stop trying to push me away. Let me help you and together we will figure it out, I promise."

"I don't know what I did to get a friend like you, but thank you, Minerva," he stated gratefully.

"You're welcome," she replied as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

They spent the rest of their time until lunch in a companionable silence, both thankful that their friendship was healing. There was still a lot of things for them to figure out, but it could all wait for a moment. Right now, they needed this time of peace to help them face the storm ahead.

\- H.M. –

After they finished their lunch, curtesy of Winky, they went back to the library. This time they sat at the table in the middle of the room, sitting in chairs beside each other. Minerva brought her personal pensieve with her, placing it on the table.

"Alright," she began seriously, "we need to start planning what to do next. I know this is probably the last thing you want to do, but we need to look at those memories again. With your mind more settled now, it's possible that we can get more information from them."

Harry nodded reluctantly. "Okay, just give me a minute to organize them all." He closed his eyes to help himself focus as he gathered them all up from the corner he had placed them in. As he examined them, they seemed to be clearer than they had been before, giving Harry hope that he and Minerva would be able to learn more from them. After about twenty minutes, he removed them from his mind and dropped them into the pensieve. "That's all of them. Before we watch them, you should know that they won't be pleasant. It'll also take a while, but I figured there may be clues in his childhood that might tell us where he could have hidden them," he informed Minerva when he was done.

"I didn't expect it to be a fun experience. As for the length of it, I agree that clues may be in his past, so it is necessary," Minerva remarked. Then she looked at him in concern. "You don't have to watch them a second time, if you don't want to," she added, wanting to spare him from further pain if she could.

"Thanks for your concern, but I can handle them as long as I'm not alone," Harry replied confidently. "Besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one and I'd rather neither of us have to watch them any more times if it can be helped."

She gave him one more look before assenting with his decision. "If you're sure then." When he nodded, they both leaned their heads over the pensieve before entering it at the same time.

Unlike the last time Harry watched the memories, he and Minerva didn't skip any of them. They watched as Tom Riddle Jr. was teased by the older children of the orphanage for being different with very little help from the overworked adults in charge. Some of the adults even punished him when weird things happened. They observed as he transitioned from the tormented to the tormentor after realizing why he was so different. Gradually, he became crueler and crueler as he abused his powers and enjoyed it. The time when he terrified two fellow orphans by bringing them into a cave that was almost impossible to access was proof of this.

"I hate to say it about a child, but while he had a less than ideal childhood, he seems to have been born with a natural cruel streak," Minerva observed.

Harry scoffed. "My childhood was much worse, but you don't see me taking it out on kids, especially ones just as unfortunate as me," he remarked bitterly.

Minerva looked at him sadly. "We need to have a real conversation about your time with the Dursleys one day. Not right now, obviously, but one day in the near future," she stated gently.

"You don't want to hear about them," he said evasively.

She gave him a pointed look. "I've seen your scars Harry. I'd rather know the truth of your mistreatment than allow my imagination to continue to come to its own conclusions." She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she'd overstepped her boundaries and quickly tried to backtrack some. "I understand if you don't want to discuss it with me, but it is healthier for you if you open up about it to someone you trust. As cliché as it may sound, talking about things does help quite a bit. I know that for a fact." Minerva said this in a cautious tone.

After a moment, Harry finally responded in a quiet but sincere voice. "You're the only one I trust enough to share it with." Minerva chose to ignore the warm feeling that enveloped her at his response.

They focused their attention back to the memories, realizing they were now at the part when Riddle was informed of being a wizard by a surprise person – Dumbledore. They noticed the suspicious look the younger version of the headmaster gave Riddle. It made them believe that Dumbledore could already sense the cruelty within the boy.

"That explains his obsession with the man," Harry muttered darkly. Minerva silently agreed.

As they watched Riddle go through his time at Hogwarts, they took note of the people he hung around – fellow students and professors – as well as his obsession with the history of the school and its Founders. Minerva pointed out that many of the students he hung around with either became Death Eaters or were the parents of them. They could tell that Riddle cared very little for his group of "friends" though he was scarily good at convincing them otherwise. As for the professors, Riddle practically had them wrapped around his finger and he was able to convince almost all of them that he was the model student. Only Dumbledore showed any suspicion of him, though he didn't act on it unfortunately.

When it came to the part where Riddle asked one of his professors about horcruxes, Minerva gasped in recognition.

"That explains why Slughorn stopped teaching. He must have realized just who Voldemort really was and felt guilty for explaining them to him," she declared. Harry looked at her curiously, but decided it wasn't important at the moment.

Then they watched as Riddle made his first horcrux with the death of Moaning Myrtle and his framing of Hagrid for the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. When Minerva saw the size of the basilisk, she grabbed Harry's arm tightly to remind herself that he was still alive.

"You killed that at twelve?" she asked in shock.

"I probably shouldn't mention that it was a bit bigger than that when I fought it," Harry replied sheepishly.

"You really need to stop understating some things," she muttered, gripping his arm tighter.

Before they transitioned to his time after Hogwarts, they saw Riddle discover the Room of Requirement, making Harry suggest that he might have hidden a horcrux there.

Next, they started delving in to his years after Hogwarts, learning that he worked at Borgin and Burkes. The memories were a bit clearer, so they were able to see how Voldemort discovered and acquired the items he used to make his horcruxes. He killed Hepzibah Smith for Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket, letting her house-elf Hokey take the blame for it. Privately, Harry knew he had seen the locket somewhere, though he couldn't remember where at the moment. They witnessed his murder of his paternal family, the Riddles, watching him blame his maternal uncle, Morfin Gaunt, for their murders while stealing the family ring. They observed him manipulate the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw to learn of Ravenclaw's diadem, which explained said ghost's avoidant nature. They were also surprised to witness him try to apply to Dumbledore for the position of Defense professor. Though they weren't able to see the memory, both concluded that he was the one who cursed that position, preventing anyone from staying for longer than a year.

After that, there was a time skip over the years between then and Voldemort's first reign of terror, just like last time. They were both a bit disappointed that they still didn't know where exactly the horcruxes were, but Minerva assured Harry that the clues were hidden in the memories they had seen.

Finally, they had reached the night Voldemort murdered Harry's parents. Minerva grabbed his arm gently, giving him comfort as he had to watch his parents get killed yet again. She was proud as she watched one of her favorite students fight off the powerful dark wizard, though it was bittersweet. When she flinched as James's body hit the floor, Harry grabbed her hand in his, squeezing it gently which surprised her. She didn't stop him though, and they stayed that way even after the moment was over. They followed the murderer up to the room containing Lily and a baby Harry. Minerva paused the memory as she observed the runic schemes drawn on the floor.

"What was your mother doing?" she wondered aloud.

Harry shrugged. "Unfortunately, I didn't take Ancient Runes, but she carved one on my forehead as well."

Minerva stood in thought for a moment longer before unpausing the memory. Harry squeezed her hand again, which he had not let go of, when his mother was murdered. Minerva squeezed his hand in return, yet again reminding herself he was still alive as Voldemort cast the Killing curse at him. At the end, she took note of the two lights that went into the baby Harry and scowled at the horcrux as it embedded itself into his scar.

\- H.M. –

When Harry and Minerva were back in their bodies, it was almost dinner time. They took about half an hour to write everything they remembered from the memories down before Winky called them in for dinner. As they ate sitting across from each other, they discussed what their next moves should be.

"Our first priority right now is to find a way to get that…thing out of your head," Minerva stated, starting the conversation.

Harry didn't have much hope for that. "How are we going to do that though? The only known methods to do so require the destruction of the container."

Minerva was quick to try and squash his hopelessness. "I have a friend named Samena that might be able to help us. She's studied arcane magic her entire life. If anyone knows how to get it out of you, she either will or will know how to find out. I'll send her a letter in the morning asking her to come visit." Then she placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it gently as she looked directly at him. "No matter what it takes, we will find a way to get that thing out of you that doesn't require your death, even if we have to travel all over the world to find it," she declared fiercely.

Harry couldn't help but be moved by her declaration and vowed to stay optimistic, if only for sake. "Thanks Minerva." They were quiet for a moment before he spoke up. "Ok, so you'll write to your friend Samena – who you've never told me about by the way. While we wait, we need to try and figure out where the rest of the horcruxes could be."

"Agreed," Minerva replied before they started compiling a list of possible locations based off of their notes on the memories. After twenty minutes, they had a few potential places to search based off their belief that Voldemort placed sentimental value on things from his childhood and Hogwarts. They also believe that he may have given another one to one of his inner-circle members, like he had with Lucius.

"Okay, so he likely hid one somewhere in Hogwarts, probably the Room of Requirement, with another of his followers, probably Lestrange, and in places connected to his childhood or the Gaunt family. We know that the diary is already destroyed and that Nagini is kept with him or hidden at all times. Now we just have to figure out the specifics," Minerva concluded. There was still a lot to figure out, but she believed they were on a good track.

Harry ran his hand through his hair in thought. "I think we're going to need some help with this, but I don't know who we can trust at the moment."

"Well Dumbledore is definitely out of that equation," Minerva began angrily. "He had to have known what your scar really is, and he did nothing to get it out of you. I doubt he even tried that hard. Instead, he practically conditioned you to become a sacrificial lamb! He tried to make sure that your life was so worthless to you that you would sacrifice it without hesitation!" She was shouting at the end as she stood up and banged her hand on the table furiously.

"Minerva, while I appreciate the anger you feel towards him on my behalf, we can't outwardly make an enemy of him just yet," Harry said soothingly, pulling her into a hug. "I'm not asking you to pretend to be his friend or anything, but you can't let him know that we know about the horcruxes. Besides, you can't get fired because Hogwarts needs you there. I need you there."

The shock from Harry actually initiating physical contact managed to break through her rage. She took a deep calming breath, releasing her anger for the moment. Then she pulled away from the hug to look at him. "Okay, but I reserve the right to turn him into the manipulative goat that he is when we can."

Harry laughed at that and shook his head at her. "If only the world knew how explosive your temper really is."

Minerva lightly slapped his arm, though she had a small amused smile on her face. They both took their seats before she continued talking. "Let's get back on topic. Now, for who we can trust to help us, I suggest we tell Andromeda and Tonks. They could also help you with your new duties as Lord Black or at least how we can use that title to our advantage." She paused for a moment before thinking of someone else. "We might also want to involve Amelia Bones. Having help from the head of the DMLE who is unbiased, intelligent, and trustworthy is a good idea. Plus, you have something to offer her."

Harry looked at her quizzically. "I do?"

"You've been able to spy on Tom through your link to discover raids before they happen. I'm sure the one in charge of the aurors could find a good use for that information," Minerva explained patiently.

"Oh, I didn't think you were going to let me still do that," he replied in surprise.

"While I don't like you putting yourself in danger like that without someone to watch you, I can't argue that it isn't useful. As long as you promise not to do it without me, I won't stop you," she consented, knowing she couldn't protect him from everything. "But you have to be careful and do everything to avoid being discovered," she added sternly.

Harry nodded in acceptance. "I promise that I'll be careful and avoid any unnecessary risks."

"Good. I say we send a letter to Andromeda tomorrow and wait until we talk to her and Tonks before we contact Amelia unless you learn of another attack," Minerva stated. She was about to say something else but was stopped by the arrival of Poppy.

"I take it that your conversation went well then," Poppy remarked, seeing and feeling the lack of tension between the two.

"Yes. We're okay now," Minerva confirmed, causing the healer to smile in response.

"Good. I'll just look you over Harry and be on my way then," Poppy stated. She made him take off his shirt so she could check his back and abdomen before rolling up his pant leg to look at the burn. She reapplied the salves and bandages, satisfied with their progress. "Here are your Dreamless Sleep and Pain-Relieving potions. I still want you to avoid using magic for one more day, but I will clear you after that. As for your injuries, they are still healing on track, but I want you to continue to take it easy until I say otherwise."

"Thanks for everything Poppy," Harry said sincerely.

She gave him a small smile. "You're welcome as always Harry. Just try to stay out of trouble for a while. Your life matters Harry. You shouldn't be so reckless with it," Poppy scolded, though there was compassion in her voice.

"I know," he conceded. Poppy gave him one more stern look before taking her leave, promising to come back in the morning.

"I think you've had enough excitement for one day. You should take your potions and then go to bed," Minerva stated. Harry, feeling drained from the day, didn't argue with her. Once he swallowed down the potions, Minerva helped him up to his room and into his bed.

"Goodnight Harry," she said before heading to her own room. Now that he was going to be okay, she didn't have to stay in the room with him as he slept, but she decided to leave his and her door open just in case.

That night, both of them went to sleep with smiles on their faces, glad that their friendship was on the mend.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last update, but life has been keeping me really busy lately with a few family situations and a bout of writers block. I'm back though with another chapter and I thank you for your patience. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but there's some important information in it. I also tried to give some insight into Harry and Minerva's friendship.

For those of you who are also reading my other stories, I will have updates for them by Sunday. I promise I'm not discontinuing any of them.

AN: From this point on I will only refer to Grimmauld's Place as Black Manor so hopefully no one will get too confused. Also, if didn't mention it before, Andromeda represented Harry during his trial for underage magic instead of Dumbledore, so they already know each other.

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Chapter 6

Poppy came by early as usual to check on Harry and reapply the salves and bandages to his injuries. He was still on restriction from using magic, but she promised him that it would end tomorrow. After practically begging the healer, she did give him permission to go on a light jog though that was the only exercise she was willing to let him do. He took the small concession as a victory, relishing in the thought of getting his body active, even if it was only for little bit. She also let him know that his injuries should be fully healed within another two days before returning back to Hogwarts.

After that, Harry and Minerva adjourned to the kitchen to eat the meal Winky had prepared for them, the latter bringing the study guide she had been putting together and some parchment to write letters with her. While they ate, they exchanged small talk, keeping the subjects light for the moment, though they knew there were some serious matters that they still had to discuss. Mainly, the two friends enjoyed the ability to once again converse freely with each other.

As they finished up their meal, all three of Harry's house-elves appeared in front of them, looking as if they had something to say.

Harry decided he needed to get something out first though, still feeling guilty about his treatment of them. "Before you guys tell me why you came here, I want to once again apologize for the way I have treated you. I promised that you would be my friends, my family, yet I have done a poor job of keeping that promise. I will try to do better in the future, starting with bonding Kreacher to me as family." Harry turned to face said elf specifically. "If you would like that of course?"

Kreacher thought about the offer seriously for a moment. "Kreacher has realized that Mistress Black was wrong about her beliefs. Master has shown that he is much stronger than any pureblood Kreacher has ever met. Kreacher also likes the way that Master treats Kreacher, Dobby, and Winky with respect. Kreacher now knows that Master Harry is right and that purebloods are not superior. Kreacher would like to be bonded to Master Harry as family."

Harry immediately did the ritual, causing Kreacher to change like Winky and Dobby did. He became stronger, healthier, and taller. Harry also gave Kreacher the same conditions that he gave Winky.

"Thank you, Master Harry," Kreacher replied thankfully.

"You're welcome. Now, what did you guys have to tell me?" Harry asked curiously.

"We have finished cleaning up Black Manor and were wondering what you wanted us to do next," Dobby informed his master.

"That's great," Harry exclaimed before scratching his chin as another thought popped into his head. "Well now that it's clean, it will have to be furnished and decorated. As my first attempt to treat the three of you better, I will give you full authority to decorate it. I believe that I can trust your judgement with this, and my vault will be at your full disposal. I only ask that the master bedroom be decorated more to my style. Just try to make everything warm and inviting while also stately like a manor is supposed to be."

"Thank you, Master Harry," Winky replied excitedly.

"We promise that it will be decorated in a way that is worthy of you, Master Harry," Kreacher added before all three elves popped away to work on their next project.

"I wonder how it will all turn out," Minerva mused having never heard of someone giving house-elves creative license to design a house.

Harry shrugged, unworried. "We'll find out in a few days but I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

Minerva shook her head at his casual attitude, an amusing smile on her lips. "Only you would see nothing odd about giving house-elves carte blanch in redecorating your entire house."

"Well I figure that since they spend so much time cleaning them, they should know how to decorate them. Besides, do you really want me to figure out how to design any room besides my own? It'd likely become a disaster," Harry laughed lightly.

She laughed with him. "Indeed. While you have many talents, I don't believe home designing is one of them, not after the 'incident' with the ROR."

He mock-pouted at her. "Oi! It was an honest mistake and you promised never to bring it up again."

She laughed even more. "Don't pout Harry. Everyone has something they aren't good at."

"What aren't you good at then?" he asked, a curious smirk on his face.

"Never you mind that," Minerva replied quickly. Then, before Harry could complain anymore, Minerva cleared her throat and became serious once more. "Anyway, there are some more important things we need to talk about. First, is the training I plan on putting you through for the remainder of the summer." Minerva handed him the study guide before continuing. "This, along with my tutoring, will help you review so you will be able to take your N.E.W.T.s in DADA and Transfiguration."

Harry ran a hand through his hair in confusion. "But I just took my O.W.L.s and haven't even got my scores back. How do you know I'll be able to pass the N.E.W.T.s this summer?" Harry asked incredulously.

Minerva pierced him with one of her signature stern glares for a moment. "Harry, you and I both know that you passed those subjects with flying colors. Besides, don't you realize that I have been teaching you material above N.E.W.T. level since the second term of this past school year?"

Harry gave her a sheepish look. "Um, no I didn't."

She shook her head in exasperation. "Conjuration on the level you're capable of is not taught in school. The Defensive spells we've gone over are close to mastery level work. The only thing you really need to work on is the theory, but it shouldn't take you too long to understand. Trust me, you will have no problem taking the tests, and passing them will give you more free time while you're in school." Minerva pointed out before elaborating on the other training she would be giving him. "Now, once Poppy clears you for full practice, I will be intensifying your training. If you can fight off eighteen death eaters and survive, then you can handle it. To devise a proper training schedule, I will need to see a memory of the night of both raids, but we will be starting as soon as possible."

"I… I'll also show you the Battle in the Ministry, though you probably won't like my actions during it or the second raid," Harry warily agreed, looking down for a moment. "I kind of let my anger influence my actions."

Her expression softened a bit at his downcast tone. "I promise I won't get angry at you, but I want to see first-hand how you respond in a real-world situation." She quickly moved on from that depressing subject, hoping that the next one would cheer him up. "I'll also be teaching you the Animagus transformation, though we will be using the method I used, not the Ministry's bastardized version of it. It will only take one full moon night to complete which isn't until the thirtieth of the month."

Harry let out a chuckle at her derisive tone when she mentioned the Ministry before responding. "Wicked. I wonder what kind of animal I'll be," he said excitedly, showing his age for once. "Maybe I'll be a really big cat, like a panther or something."

Minerva smiled at him in amusement. "Boys," she teased, "always thinking that something big means it's better." Harry mock-glared at her, but she ignored him. "Never realizing that being small can help you get into more places than they think." Then her tone turned mysterious. "Though, I have to admit that being bigger has it's uses."

Harry gave her a confused look that only grew in size as Minerva transformed into a much larger version of the tabby cat form than he was used too. She stayed like that for a few minutes so Harry could examine her properly before morphing first into the form he was accustomed to and then back into a human. "How did you do that and why is this the first time I'm seeing it?" Harry asked when he found his voice.

Minerva smirked at him before launching into an explanation using her lecture tone. "It's one of the benefits of being a natural animagus. You will have the ability to make your animal form larger or smaller, though it takes practice to figure it out. You will gain the fully enhanced senses of your animal that can be used whether in animal or human form. You also will be able to use some magic while an animal, though nothing too complex." Then she pulled out her wand. "Before I explain what will happen during the ritual, I need to confirm that you are indeed a natural animagus."

She waved her wand in a complex pattern, whispering a chant in Latin. After about a minute, Harry glowed green. "As expected, you are a natural animagus."

He had a broad smile at that news. "Wicked!"

Minerva couldn't help but smile with him. "Wicked indeed. Now the ritual that you will go through is fairly simple. The transformation will occur on the night of a full moon. Seven days before that, you will have to take a potion that will cause you to experience dreams about your animal every night. This will help you to learn more about your animal before you become it. Then, on the seventh night, you will take another potion that will put you into a trance before forcing you to transform. For twelve hours, you will be stuck in your animal form to give you time to become accustomed to it. After that, you will just have to practice until you master it."

"Sounds easy enough," Harry agreed.

"It is. I will have to write a letter to my friend Matthew to ask him for the potions. He's the one who helped me discover my animagus form," Minerva stated as she pulled a piece of parchment out. "I might even ask him to be here for the transformation. If that's alright with you?"

He shrugged in response. "I trust your judgement. If you trust him then it's fine."

She nodded before writing a quick note. "I also need to write to Samena to ask her to come here as well as Andromeda."

"I was thinking last night, and I believe I should write to my friends. I don't really know what their reactions might be, but they need to know that Dumbledore can't be trusted, though I'll only be able to go into a little detail. Depending on how they respond, I'll try and set up a meeting with them so I can tell them everything that's been going on."

"That's a good idea," she agreed before expressing her concern. "But Harry, try not to get too discouraged if they don't react in the way you hope they will."

"I'll try not to," Harry replied.

The two lapsed into silence as they composed their letters. Minerva tried to include as much information in her letters possible without mentioning Harry's name so that her friends would be able to detect the urgency in her words. After only a moment's hesitation, Harry decided to write to the Weasley twins along with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. Fred and George have always been pretty supportive of him and they defended him during the times that most of the school turned their backs on him. Minerva, who had finished before him since she had less people to write to, read over his letters when he asked if they were okay. She only had to make a couple of adjustments to them for clarity.

When it was time to send the letters out, Hedwig and Minerva's eagle owl named Athena appeared in front of their respective masters. "I think we should send Hedwig with the letters for Samena and Matthew and send Athena with the others," Minerva suggested. "Hedwig is definitely the stronger flyer of the two and it will likely take a few days to find the two of them and deliver their replies. In addition, it might be best if an unrecognizable owl goes to your friends to prevent anyone from suspecting that the letters came from you."

Harry saw the wisdom in her words and quickly acquiesced to her request. They made sure to give both owls plenty of snacks and water before they sent them on their way, wishing them luck on their journeys.

\- H.M. –

After breakfast both of them took a light jog around the property, with Minerva giving him a full tour of the property. It was a cottage style home made of tan stone with brown wood trim. The lawn was neatly trimmed and there was a wide stone path that led from the outdoor patio into the forest. They only jogged for about half an hour, Minerva making sure Harry didn't push himself too har. Once they got cleaned up, they spent the rest of the day in the library. Harry gave Minerva the requested memories so she could watch them and develop a training plan for him while he started studying for his N.E. .

When Minerva finished watching his memories, she got his attention. "You did well during the first raid and the battle at the Ministry. I know you might feel that you let your anger control you after Sirius's death when you dueled Bellatrix, but that isn't the case. She is a ruthless witch who didn't hesitate to try and kill you. If you had been lenient with her, she would have done so. That doesn't make you a bad person."

"But I wanted to kill her?" Harry protested.

Minerva grabbed his right hand in hers and squeezed it softly. "Yes, but you didn't enjoy it. That makes you different from her and those who think like her." Harry nodded in understanding after a moment, accepting her explanation. When the moment was over, she focused him back on his studies as she came up with a training plan for him.

They took a break for lunch, sitting outside on Minerva's patio table to enjoy the nice weather outside. After they ate, she told him about her plans for his training, which included elemental abilities. Watching his performance during the second raid convinced her that he might possess the rare ability.

"Wait, you're saying that I might be an elemental?" Harry asked in surprise. "What does that mean exactly?"

"I am and it means that you have the ability to control one of the four elements without the need of a wand," Minerva explained. "It's not something that many people can do and unlike most magical talents, it is not passed down through the bloodline. Instead, only those with a certain amount of power – mental and magical – are capable of it. There are very few people that have this ability. Dumbledore and Riddle are both elementals able to control water and fire respectively. I'm one of the even rarer people able to control more than one element – fire and earth."

To demonstrate this, Minerva stood up and snapped her fingers, causing a small fire to appear above her thumb and index finger. Instead of burning her, she was able to control its movements. She moved it around her hand for a moment, showing her absolute command of the fire. Then she enlarged it until it formed a shield in front of her. Next, she extinguished the flame and looked around until she found a large boulder on the property, lifting it up ten feet in the air. She lifted another and proceeded to juggle them for a moment before lowering them to the ground gently. To finish off her demonstration, she caused the very ground around them to shake, though not too hard that it would cause the earth to split.

Harry was looking at his friend in awe when she was done. "I don't think I tell you how amazing you are often enough," he stated seriously, turning his gaze to the boulders Minerva had been juggling in the air. His compliment caused a slight blush to color Minerva's cheeks unexpectedly, something she hoped he wouldn't notice. Harry, oblivious to his friend's slight dilemma, continued talking, giving her time to quickly regain her composure. "Since you can control two elements, does it mean that you are stronger than Dumbledore and Riddle?"

"Naturally, yes, though I'm sure both of them have used certain rituals to bolster their strength," Minerva replied. "It doesn't mean that if I were to face them, I would automatically be able to win, but it does give me an edge."

"That makes sense, I guess. After all, it takes a lot more than power to win a battle," Harry noted. "So, what makes you think that I'm an elemental?"

"The fact that you were able to use and control those advanced air and fire spells after very little practice," Minerva explained. "Usually it takes more than the few days you had to master them, which suggests that they simply come naturally to you because they are the elements you have control over. We will have to wait until Poppy clears you for magic use tomorrow to test that theory, however."

Harry couldn't wait.

\- H.M. –

At dinner, they received replies from Harry's friends and Andromeda. The latter agreed to come over tomorrow for dinner with Tonks in tow. As for Harry's friends, he was a bit surprised by how much they believed in him. Luna and Neville, who had no prior loyalty to the headmaster anyway, took him at his word. They trusted Harry fully and didn't believe that he would make a decision like this unless he had a really good reason for it. Hermione it seems had been doing some thinking of her own and had come to the conclusion that Dumbledore did not have Harry's best interests in mind and was hiding something really important from her friend. She also promised that she was on his side, not the headmaster's. Ron and Ginny, while wary about going against Dumbledore seeing as their family was very loyal to his cause, decided to back Harry instead. They believed that something was suspicious about the whole situation. Plus, Harry was the one who had actually taught them how to survive and protected them, not Dumbledore. Even Fred and George didn't hesitate to support Harry, though it didn't surprise Harry as much. Those two were naturally rebels who went by their own moral code.

"Well it seems that they're all on board," Harry spoke up once he had finished reading all of the letters. "Now we just have to figure out a way for all of us to meet up."

Minerva had that figured out. "What if they come here? It's a secure location and only those who I personally give access to know where it is. I'm sure the twins can come up with an excuse to get their younger siblings out of the house for a few hours," she suggested.

"Are you sure?" he asked, wanting to be certain she was okay with it. After spending time here, he realized that this place was Minerva's personal sanctuary from the world.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't," she replied calmly.

"Alright then, I'll write them in the morning to let them know. We can probably meet on Friday during lunch. That should give them enough time to make some plans," Harry stated.

"I'll make them portkeys to get them here and back, though they should probably all leave from the same place, so I only have to make one return destination," Minerva added.

Harry looked at her with a mischievous smirk. "Making a portkey without authorization from the Ministry, huh? You really are a bit of a rebel, aren't you?"

Minerva swatted his arm for his comment. "I expect you to keep that knowledge to yourself. Can't have my students finding out. It would ruin my reputation and encourage the troublemakers," she said in mock-seriousness, knowing that he would never tell anyone about it anyway.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Harry promised before a grateful expression formed on his face. "Thanks for doing all this and going through all this trouble for me Minerva."

"That's what friends are for Harry," Minerva stated.

The two of them stayed up a bit longer to write the replies to Harry's friends before retiring for bed, Harry taking another Dreamless sleep potion. They would send the letters off in the morning so that Athena would have time to hunt and rest.

\- H.M. –

The next morning, Harry and Minerva took another light jog an hour before Poppy was set to arrive. This time, she took him down the stone path from her patio which led to a river. There was a small seating area surrounding a fire pit on the bank and they sat down to catch their breaths for a moment.

"I'm come here often when I need to think. In fact, I was coming back from here when you arrived," Minerva admitted, gesturing for Harry to sit down.

He sat beside her as he took in the calming atmosphere. "I can see why. It's so peaceful out here." Then he turned to face her with a sly smirk, though he didn't immediately speak.

"What's that look for?" she asked, wary about what was going in his mind. She knew that look meant either he had a crazy idea or a thought that was going to test her patience.

Harry shrugged nonchalantly, though his smirk remained. "I was just wondering how many others you've brought back here or am I just really special." He laughed hard, gripping his injured side, at the flabbergasted expression on her face, an expression very few people could get from her.

"Harry James Potter!" she shouted in outrage. Her cheeks were inflamed, though she couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. The truth was she hadn't brought anyone out here before except… Cal. She wasn't going to admit that to Harry, however.

Harry took a moment to regain his composure. "Sorry but I couldn't help it. You should see the look on your face." At Minerva's stern glare he straightened up, becoming serious. "I didn't really mean anything by it," he apologized sincerely. "I do appreciate you showing me your personal oasis. I can tell it means a lot to you."

Her glare softened at his genuine tone. "Yes, well please refrain from making such comments in the future. I… I know that we're friends, but I'm still also your teacher and there's a certain boundary we shouldn't cross, even when joking." She waited until he looked properly chastised before giving him a soft smile. "But yes, you are special, if it makes you feel any better." Harry smiled back at her before they both turned to face the river.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the scenery, before they headed back up to the house. Minerva also showed him the medium-sized training room that was on the second floor before they both went to take showers in their respective bathrooms.

Poppy arrived about ten minutes after the two had finished getting dressed. After checking him over, she gave Harry permission to use magic again, something he was obviously excited about. He was still told to take it easy, but the bruises on his back were fully healed. All he had to wait for was his leg and abdomen now.

With that good news, Harry and Minerva spent the day studying and working on magic. At breakfast, they sent the letters off with Athena before moving to the library. There, they spent the first half of the day going over the study guide. Minerva also had him make copies of the memories from Voldemort and his two raids, though this time they separated them out into to different sections. This way they could show people only as much as they wanted them to see. It took him about half an hour before he had a several vials filled with the memories. Minerva made sure to label and cap all of them and placed them in an unbreakable box for safe keeping.

Then, after lunch, they went into the training room. First, Minerva had him throw all of the spells he knew at a target that recorded his accuracy and power. He shot each spell three times before moving on to the next one. Harry was happy with his results, seeing how much his hard work over the years was paying off. Minerva was also impressed, especially since he cast almost all of them silently, something she verbally expressed to him.

When he was done, they took a short break as Minerva explained how he would discover if he was an elemental. "To determine if you're an elemental, you'll have to try to recreate simple air and fire spells without your wand. First, you will cast the spells, one at a time, and hold them so you can study them. You'll have to fully examine the element, see how it feels and responds to you. When you think you've analyzed them enough and while still holding them with your wand, you'll have to try and copy that effect in your other hand. If you can manage it, then it proves that you're an elemental."

"Okay I think I understand how to do it. I'll try the fire one first," Harry said after he contemplated her words. They sat there for half an hour longer, eating some snacks and drinking the water that Winky had brought them.

When he was ready, Harry got into a meditative pose and cast a small flame from his wand. As Minerva had instructed him, he examined the fire on the tip of his wand as he tried to figure out how to recreate it. It took him several minutes before he was comfortable enough to start trying to do it in his other hand. He took a deep breath to compose himself before carefully willing his magic to gather in his hand. Then he pushed it to form fire, his mind focused on what the fire from his wand felt like. After ten minutes had passed, a small flame appeared from his hand.

"Brilliant," Harry exclaimed, causing himself to lose his concentration and his flame to go out. He tried to do it again, this time managing to call up the fire in five minutes.

"Well done Harry. Now try the air this time," Minerva said proudly.

Harry nodded before using his wand to cast a weaker version of the wind slash spell, containing it in a small area above his wand. He went through the same process, though this took him a bit longer since the wind was a bit harder to examine. When he finally started trying to recreate it, it took him about fifteen minutes to get it. He did it again, calling up the wind in about seven minutes before turning to face Minerva.

She gave him a proud smile and clapped her hands together. "It's official, you are a double elemental in fire and wind. Now you'll just have to practice it until you can call it up with little thought and bend it to move according to your will." Harry stood up and was about to start practicing then and there, but Minerva stopped him with her hand on his arm. "I think you've done enough magic for the day. Andromeda and Tonks should be here soon anyway, and you need to freshen up before dinner." Harry reluctantly agreed with her, knowing from her tone that she wouldn't budge on this.

She sent him off to his room and then went into the kitchen to check with Winky who was getting everything ready for the Tonks women's visit.

\- H.M. –

Their guests for the evening arrived at a quarter to seven via the floo in the living room. Harry and Minerva, who had been sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace to wait for them, stood up to greet them.

"Min, it's good to see you," Andromeda said, pulling the woman into a warm hug. "I've wondered why I haven't seen you in over a week, but now I understand." Not many people knew this, but the two of them had become close after Minerva helped Andromeda when she had run away from her family before the start of her last school year. Then, when her husband, Ted Tonks had been killed by a dark wizard, Minerva had helped her get back onto her feet, even taking care of Tonks when necessary. They had been good friends ever since and saw each other often, especially during the summer.

"It's good to see you as well, Andy," Minerva replied. "As you can see, I've been a bit busy lately. It's a quite a long story."

"I can imagine," Andromeda agreed.

While the two witches talked, Harry turned to greet Tonks who he had grown close to since last summer when he was at Grimmauld Place. Instead of ignoring him like most of the other Order members, she had actually taken the time to get to know him, helping him come out of his shell with Sirius's help and teaching him some Auror fighting tactics.

"Hey Dora. Thanks for coming," Harry said.

"Wotcher Harry. So, this is where you've been hiding out then?

"Actually, I've only been here since... the night of the first of this month, I think. I'll explain everything else in a moment though," Harry replied. "How have you been?"

"Alright, all things considered," Tonks said, the sadness in her tone causing Harry to nod in mutual commiseration. "You know the Order's been losing their minds trying to find you."

"I can imagine. I suppose I should send the old man a letter to tell him to stop looking for me," Harry remarked, though he was reluctant to do so. "I'm sorry I didn't write to tell you about technically running away."

"It's okay Harry," Tonks replied.

Before they could say anything else, Minerva and Andromeda joined them. "Harry it's good to see you as well," Andromeda said as she pulled him into short hug.

"It's good to see you as well Mrs. Tonks," Harry replied with a smile.

Andromeda shook her head at him in exasperation. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Andy? We are friends after all?" Andromeda was the one who had represented him during his sham of a trial at the Ministry. In fact, by the time Dumbledore arrived in the courtroom, Harry had already been declared innocent. They had been friends ever since, with her giving him advice whenever he asked her for help.

Harry chuckled lightly. "Yes, we are friends, Andy," he agreed.

Minerva also gave Tonks a hug before leading them all to the kitchen where Winky had a delicious meal set out on the table. After thanking the house-elf and causing her to blush, they filled up their plates and started to eat.

The conversation started out with safe topics as they ate their meal. Andromeda and Dora discussed their work and how things were going in that area, throwing in a few funny stories that had happened recently. Harry and Minerva shared the discovery of his fire and air elemental abilities as well as the news that Black Manor was being fixed up and decorated by Harry's house-elves. The Tonks women were impressed with the former and amused with the latter, making Harry promise to show them around the place when it was done.

Once the dinner was eaten, they went into the library to discuss the reason for the meeting. Winky brought them some chocolate cake to enjoy, hoping that it would make it easier for them to talk about the difficult subject.

"Thank you, Winky," Harry said before the elf could leave. He managed to catch on to what she was trying to do.

"You're welcome, Master," Winky replied humbly before popping away.

They were seated at the table, the Tonks women on one side and Harry and Minerva on the other. The pensieve and box of memories were set on the edge of the table so that everyone had a clear view of each other. After a moment of silence so that everyone could taste the delicious cake, Minerva started up the conversation.

"Thank you both for coming on such short notice, but there are quite a few things that we need to tell you about."

"I have to admit that your letter had me a bit worried Minerva," Andromeda said, allowing her concern to be displayed on her face.

"I doubt what we have to tell you will assuage any of those worries, but as our friends it is something you need to know," Minerva replied. Then she looked at Harry, gesturing for him to begin the story.

Harry took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. "I'll start with what happened the night that… that Sirius was killed. After Voldemort escaped from the Ministry, Dumbledore sent me to his office, making me wait there for him to get back because he wanted to talk to me." Harry then described the conversation that followed, including the prophecy, causing the Tonks women to gasp in outrage. Minerva managed to control her emotions only slightly better than them.

"So, after idiotically hiding this information from you all of these years, he decided that _then_ was the best time to tell you? Right after you had just lost you godfather?" Andromeda asked rhetorically, anger coloring her words. Harry nodded in response.

Tonks hair was bright red in fury. "That old manipulative goat. I hope his stuff is so damaged it can't be fixed!" She didn't realize how true that was. Dumbledore had been unsuccessfully trying to fix his things since that night.

Once the two witches had calmed down some, Harry continued the story, describing the dreams that he had and their affect on him. Shamefully, he admitted to pushing everyone away and the argument that he had with Minerva on the night of the Leaving feast. He described how he was able sneak off the Hogwarts Express with the help of Dobby and Winky and his meeting at Gringotts.

"You are Lord Potter-Black now then?" Andromeda asked.

"Technically I'm only Lord Black," Harry clarified. "For some reason I had two magical guardians for the lines – Dumbledore and Black. While Sirius was able to emancipate me, I was only able to claim the Black line. I didn't think about it too hard since I was able to get my freedom anyway."

Andromeda had a confused look. "That's odd. I'll have to look further into it, but that's a matter for another day."

Harry nodded in agreement before continuing. "I was actually going to ask the two of you if you would like to be brought back into the family, though you'll have to tell me how to do so."

A tear fell down Andromeda's face at his words. "I would like that very much. All you have to do is say, 'I, Lord Black, do hereby bring, our names, back into the Black family with all rights, privileges, and protections so forth, so mote it be.' We will glow white to signify that we were accepted."

Harry did as Andromeda instructed him and both women glowed white to show that he was successful. After giving everyone a moment to regain their composure, he continued telling his story. He explained how he started to spy on Voldemort through the connection they share and his discovery of the first raid.

Tonks almost jumped from her chair as a realization hit her. "You're the Hooded Stranger?" Harry nodded in response. "But that means you're the one who faced…" Tonks trailed off for a moment. "What were you thinking going to fight eighteen death eaters on your own!"

"I'll get to that in a moment, though you probably won't like my answer," Harry answered sadly. After a moment of pause, he told them about his idea to probe the presence in his head where his scar was and the result of that. He described his first trip through Voldemort's memories and the revelation that the monster had not only made multiple horcruxes but also that one of them was residing inside of him. The Tonks witches had matching looks of horror on their faces at his revelation. Then, ready to be done with the story, he told them how depressed he'd gotten. He admitted that he decided to go fight so many enemies on his own because he was practically suicidal and didn't want to live any longer. He described how close he got to dying before the thought of all of his friends made him realize that he couldn't do this to them, and he managed to apparate to Minerva.

Minerva took up the story at that point, telling them about the condition he was in when he arrived here. She listed all of his injuries and explained how Poppy had been taking care of him since then. She ended with a summarization of everything that had happened in the last few days and the plans they had come up with so far, including their notes about possible locations for other horcruxes.

Both Tonks women had tears falling down their faces at the unfairness of Harry's life. Andromeda was the one who spoke up first, her voice full of compassion. "I'm so sorry that you have to deal with all of this, as if your life wasn't hard enough."

Harry gave her a small, woeful smile. "It's not your fault. Having friends like you make it more bearable."

Tonks however had risen to her feet, her hair a fiery red to express the anger coursing through her entire being. "No, it's Dumbledore's fault! That bloody bastard knew that thing was inside of your head and he did nothing to get it out of you!" she shouted as she realized the implications of Dumbledore's actions regarding Harry. "He tried to make sure your life was miserable enough that you would be willing to sacrifice it! I doubt he even tried to get it out! In his arrogance, he probably believed that if he couldn't find a way then no one else could."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Which is exactly why he can no longer be trusted and why we are unofficially breaking from his side and trying to recruit others to help us."

"Well, you definitely have our support," Andromeda declared.

"Yeah, anything you need, you just ask, and we got your back," Tonks added. "And despite what you may expect, neither one of us see you as a monster just because you have a piece of him inside of you."

"Yes, the fact that you have been able to stop him from taking control of you for all these years is a testament of your strength as well as the purity of your heart," Andromeda stated.

"Thank you both," Harry replied, a bit overwhelmed. A single tear rolled down his cheek, causing Minerva to squeeze his hand gently, something he appreciated.

"Have you started looking for a way to remove the horcrux?" Andromeda asked after another pause for Harry to regain his composure.

"I've written to my friend Samena. If anyone can figure it out or knows where to look for the answer, it's her," Minerva answered. "Now we just have to wait for her to respond."

Andromeda nodded in recognition. "Ah yes your friend who studies arcane magic. Well is there anything that we can start working on then?"

"There is something that I need from both of you at the moment," Harry spoke up. "Andy I'm going to have to announce my ascent to lordship and take up my seat soon. I was hoping that you would become my proxy for it."

Andromeda smiled mischievously at that. "I would be happy to do so. I'll also teach you more about politics and the laws just in case you need to use that knowledge. As for becoming your proxy, it will have to happen at the next meeting which is on the fifth of next month, though I will have to verify that for you. Don't worry about it though because I will make sure that you're more than prepared for it."

Harry thanked her before turning to Tonks. "As for you Dora, I need you to set up a meeting with your boss."

"Consider it done," Tonks declared. "Do you have a specific day you want to meet with her?"

Harry scratched his chin in thought. "Umm… preferably on Friday for dinner if she's available." Tonks promised to get it set up when she went into work tomorrow. "There's one more thing. I want you to try and sound out some of the younger Order members to see if it's possible to convert them to our side."

"No problem," Tonks replied.

After they finalized some plans, Andromeda and Tonks flooed back home with the promise that they would be back over tomorrow evening after work.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thank you for your reviews and continued interest in this story. This is another long chapter for you. It wasn't supposed to be this long, but it kind of wrote itself. There are a few fluff moments between Harry and Minerva. I hope you enjoy. Also, I have the next chapter already written so it should be out within the next two days.

* * *

Chapter 7

After the meeting with the Tonks women, Harry and Minerva stayed up for a bit longer, talking about their next steps. After an hour had passed, Harry started yawning, signaling that they needed to get ready for sleep. They retired to their respective rooms soon after. Poppy came by once they had finished getting ready for bed to reapply the salves to Harry's leg and abdomen. He drunk the pain potion she gave him but refused to take the Dreamless sleep potion.

"I don't want to get addicted to it," Harry argued.

Poppy rolled her eyes at him. "Do you really think I would give it to you if I thought you were becoming addicted? The fact that you're refusing it right now proves you aren't."

"Harry, just listen to Poppy," Minerva requested. "You're not fully healed yet and you could use all the sleep you can get." She was worried he would be plagued by nightmares, especially after how he reacted to them recently.

Harry understood what she was worried about but shook his head in response. "No. I'm healed up enough. Besides, I have to face my dreams at some point." Harry's tone and expression were full of determination.

Poppy sighed, knowing that his look meant he wasn't going to change his mind. "Very well, I won't force you to take it, but I will leave it here in case you change your mind."

"Thank you, Poppy," Harry said gratefully. She left shortly after that, wishing them both a good night.

"I still think you're rushing yourself," Minerva remarked.

"I'm a Gryffindor Minerva. We're supposed to face our problems, not run from them," Harry pointed out. "I promise I won't try and deal with them on my own or push you away this time. I learned from mistakes, honest." He was serious too. His brush with death had scared him straight.

Minerva gave him a piercing stare for a minute before sighing in reluctance. "Fine, but I'm leaving both of our doors open and you're not allowed to put up a silencing charm."

"Deal."

\- H.M. –

Harry went to sleep just fine soon after, having no problems whatsoever drifting off into the land of Morpheus. Staying there proved to be a problem however. The dream started off pleasantly with him flying on his Firebolt high in the air, surrounded by blue skies with the ground and his problems thousands of feet below him. It was so realistic that he could feel the wind whipping his face as he flew faster and faster.

Then, the sky filled with dark grey clouds, rain poured down, the wind became turbulent, and lightning lit up the sky. The thunder was deafening, making it hard for Harry to hear anything. To make things worse, he lost control of the broom as it zipped him toward an unknown destination. He could do nothing but hold on tightly as a reluctant passenger.

At first, everything was a blur, but soon enough the images became clear, though this didn't reassure Harry. As he flew by, he was assaulted with flashes of things he'd seen in his most recent nightmares. His friends being struck down mercilessly one by one. Their dead corpses looking at him with blame and anger in their eyes. Sirius and his parents calling him a traitor. Himself slaughtering his friends and many other innocent lives as he became a worse Dark Lord than Voldemort. Yet there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Outside of his dream world, he was tossing and turning in his bed, trying to escape from the horrible things he was being forced to watch. When he became too overwhelmed, he started screaming, a sound that reverberated throughout the house. It was full of pain and anguish. Minerva, who had already started stirring due to the atmosphere of unrest she'd unconsciously detected, practically jumped out of her bed upon hearing him, snatching her wand from under her pillow. She hurried to Harry's room, her wand drawn, ready to defend Harry from any threat.

What she saw as she stepped into the room broke her heart as she hurried to his side. Climbing on the bed, she quickly began to calm him down, soothing words and placations falling from her lips as she ran her fingers through his hair. It took several minutes, but eventually she had calmed him down enough to be able to pull him into her arms safely. She continued to stroke his hair as he fully woke up.

"Easy Harry, it's just me. You're safe," Minerva declared softly when she felt him stiffen up in her arms. "I know what you saw was bad, but it's over now."

Harry gently gripped her arm that was wrapped protectively across his chest as he spoke, his voice raspy from screaming. "I'm sorry for waking you up."

"Don't be. You have no control over it and no reason to apologize for it," Minerva replied. Then she called for Dobby to bring Harry some water to soothe his throat. She helped Harry sit up so he could drink it properly, steadying his hand when she saw it begin to shake. Harry sat the cup on his nightstand when he was finished before moving to sit beside Minerva.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

"It was like the rest of the nightmares I've been having since… since that night," Harry spoke after a bit of hesitation. "It's starts off good and then somehow I'm jumping through various scenes – all of which are bad. I see everyone I care about dying. I hear them blame me for their deaths or call me a monster. Then…" Harry faltered, unwilling to continue.

Minerva squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It's okay Harry. You can tell me."

"Then I see myself, except I have cruel red eyes. I'm forced to watch myself be a total monster, killing any and everyone who gets in my way. I have no mercy for anyone, including my friends… and you." Harry looked down in shame before concluding in a small voice. "That's what scares me the most.

Minerva grasped his chin and gently turned his face so she could look him in his eyes. "I see no monster in you because it's not who you are."

Harry was quick to protest. "But I do have a piece of one in me! What if it takes control of me? What if I can't fight it anymore?"

She shook her head at him determinedly. "You've fought it off for this long, even as a small child so I doubt it will be able to take control of you now. Also, you have your mother's protection helping you as well as me, so you're not doing this alone." When he tried to argue again, she cut him off before he could get started, her tone unyielding. "You are not a monster Harry James Potter. You are a good man with a huge heart who always tries to do the right thing, even if the reasons might be a bit misguided. The horcrux in your head is unable to change that because you are strong enough to fight off its attempts at influencing you. It might be inside of you, but it is not part of who you are as a person. Understood?"

He looked in her eyes, seeing the honesty and confidence she had in him. "Ok." He didn't know why she had so much faith in him but knew she was almost always right, so she had to be right about this. Still, his dreams felt so real making it hard to ignore them.

Her tone became softer, though it was still firm. "Besides, we are going to get that thing out of your head as soon as possible so you won't have to worry about it anymore. Once Samena writes us back, we can start working on it."

Harry nodded in reply before they lapsed into silence, both lost in their thoughts. After a few moments, he turned to face Minerva and was about to say something before he realized something – she wasn't wearing her glamour. This caused his words to die on his lips as he gazed at her in shock. She didn't notice him for several minutes as she was still lost in her thoughts.

It must be said that Harry's always found his professor and friend attractive. In fact, he's had a crush on her since his third year at Hogwarts. It wasn't just because of her looks though. He was even more drawn to her personality. While she's a stern and intimidating teacher, she is also very kind and fair. He knew for a fact that if you came to her office for help, she does not hesitate to give it to you, something he knows from personal experience. Besides being a good teacher, she is very independent and strong, and she won't hesitate to stand up for what's right, even if it puts her in danger. After being her friend since his fourth year, he's also learned that she has a sarcastic sense of humor, a great laugh, and a beautiful smile that lights up the room when she allows it to show. All in all, Minerva was a very attractive woman to him – inside and out.

The only two people who know this very embarrassing information are Sirius and Tonks, and he extracted a promise from them to never tell another soul, living or dead, the moment they got it out of him. They'd both kept it of course, though that didn't stop them from teasing him when nobody was around or paying attention to him. While the teasing aggravated him at times, he was glad they knew about it because he could talk to them when he was confused about his feelings or just needed to vent his frustrations about wanting someone whom he could never have.

At the present moment, he really wished Tonks was here for him to vent to, seeing as he was facing another dilemma in that area of his life. See, while he's known for sure since his fourth year that Minerva wore a glamour, he's never actually seen her with it off. She still looked like herself and he wouldn't have trouble recognizing her, but the age wrinkles and creases that usually lined her face were all gone, showing the youthfulness she possessed due to her magical strength. Instead, her skin was smooth and silky with a bit of a radiant tan glow from running outside in the sun on her property. Her hair had no gray in it, the ebony locks luxuriant, thick, and wavy. She didn't even have her hair pinned up so he could see how long her hair really was. Main point is, her beauty left him speechless, especially since he had no warning or time to prepare himself. _I'm doomed_.

Minerva sat lost in thought, oblivious to Harry's predicament for a few moments until she felt his eyes on her. She turned to face him and became worried by the strange look he had. "Is something wrong Harry?"

Harry shook himself to regain his composure enough to answer her. "Umm not really, it's just… you forgot to put your glamour back on." He was blushing a bit, though she didn't notice that.

"Oh," she exclaimed, her cheeks reddening as well. "How did you know I wore a glamour?" she asked in surprise. She thought she had done a good job of keeping that a secret.

"I figured it out in my fourth year after spending so much time with you," he admitted.

"I suppose this was bound to happen at some point due to us residing in the same house," she stated after getting over her shock. "Usually I keep the glamour off while I'm here since only a few people have access. I must have forgotten to put it back on when I rushed in here."

They sat in an awkward silence before Harry broke it a few minutes later, his voice full of nerves. "Umm, if you want to keep it off, you should. Just because I'm here doesn't mean you have to be inconvenienced in your own home. But if it makes you uncomfortable to have it off in front of me than put it back on. It won't bother me whether you wear it or not." Realizing he was rambling a bit, he stopped talking.

Minerva, after a moment of thought, decided to act on her impulse to keep the glamour off instead of keeping it on, even if it might seem a tad inappropriate. "Well, there's really no reason to put it back on. You've already seen me after all. Unless it makes you uncomfortable."

There were many feelings Minerva's natural form evoked within him, but anything resembling uncomfortableness was not it. The situation, yes, but the way she looked, no. "No, not at all," he replied quickly.

"Very well then," Minerva concluded.

There was another pause before Harry spoke up once more. "Thanks for helping me, but you should go get some sleep. I'll be fine now."

"Are you sure?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," he replied, trying to sound confident.

Minerva gave him one more look of concern before acquiescing. She walked out of the room, leaving the door open before going to her bed.

It took some time before she was able to go back to sleep, her mind on Harry's description of his nightmare. Harry decided not to try at all, remaining awake for the rest of the night.

\- H.M. –

Tonks went in to work early to catch her boss, Amelia Bones, alone in her office before the shift change started and the day crew came in. She was thankful that Amelia's secretary hadn't even made it in yet as she went to knock twice on the door. The witch was a good worker but had a tendency to instigate rumors.

"Come in," Amelia called in her typical commanding tone.

"Wotcher Boss," Tonks greeted as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Mind if I have a quick word. It's about a sensitive matter."

Amelia looked up from her desk, her curiosity piqued. "Is it about work?"

Tonks shook her head. "No, but it's about the war."

"You have my attention. Sit down then," Amelia said, gesturing to the seat across from her. Tonks scanned the room with her wand for listening charms before warding it from eavesdropping, causing Amelia to raise her eyebrow. "This must be really important."

"It is," Tonks replied as she sat down. She took a calming breath before continuing. "First, I need to confess to you about my involvement in the Order of Phoenix. I know I shouldn't have joined without your permission, but I did it to help my cousin and Harry, not because I believe that Dumbledore is the greatest person in the world."

"I suspected as much, though I'm glad you aren't a blind follower of that man like too many others. I won't ask how many more of my aurors are involved with his club but thank you for telling me. I also understand your reasons for joining," Amelia said after giving Tonks a piercing stare. Tonks silently sighed in relief. "Did he make you take an oath of secrecy?"

"No," Tonks scoffed. "I can tell you everything you want to know, though there isn't as much to tell as you'd think. Dumbledore likes to play his cards close yet expects everyone to follow him obediently." Her tone was bitter at the mention of the headmaster, the pink shade of her hair darkening with her mood.

Amelia nodded in understanding. "Yes, he's always liked to hold all the cards for himself and disperse information when he deems it necessary," she said sarcastically. "But you can tell me all about that later. I believe you have something more urgent to tell me."

"Yes ma'am. I can't give you too many details at the moment, but a certain someone with very distinctive scar would like to meet with you, privately," Tonks informed her.

Amelia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So, you are in touch with him then? I've heard rumors that he was missing yesterday."

"He's actually been MIA since the day the students went home but I saw him yesterday," Tonks explained. "The Order's been looking all over for him since he disappeared from the train, but I knew he wouldn't be found until he was ready. Just so happens that he was hiding in the last place anyone would think to look for him." Tonks smirked at the irony before continuing. "The old goat's been trying to keep it all hushed up, but I figured the rumor would get out soon enough."

"Interesting. I assume that he's finally had enough of Dumbledore's games then?" Amelia mused.

Tonks hair turned red. "That's an understatement. Bloody furious is more like it. He has more than enough reason to be too. That tosser completely screwed up his life." She took a deep breath to calm down, her emotions still high from the discussion last night. "I'll let him explain it all and more to you in person though. He's free to meet for dinner on Friday, though he's able to work with your schedule."

"Before I agree, I have one question," Amelia said after a moment. "Why does he want to talk to me?"

"Because he trusts me and my judgement, and he knows I trust you," Tonks replied simply.

"Very well. I'm not available on Friday, but I can meet with him Saturday evening at seven. You can bring him there," Amelia decided.

"I'll let him know," Tonks agreed.

"Now, tell me all about what Dumbledore's Order has been doing since its reformation."

\- H.M. –

Meanwhile, Harry and Minerva were just finishing their morning jog. Minerva had noticed that Harry looked like he was lacking in sleep, but let it go for the moment. Even though he was now talking to her again, she didn't want to push him to hard, just yet. She wanted to give him time to deal with his nightmares on his own. However, if it went on for too long, she would step in.

Poppy also noticed his tiredness, but a look from Minerva stopped her from commenting on it. The healer did pull the witch to the side to talk privately when she was done checking him over. Once they were downstairs by the fireplace, Poppy turned to face her friend.

"He had a nightmare last night, didn't he?" Poppy guessed.

Minerva nodded. "Yes. I woke up when I heard him screaming and managed to calm him down. He described it to me afterwards, and I tried to reassure him, but I'm not sure how effective my words will be."

Poppy shook her head sadly. "While I wish he had given himself more time to recover, he was correct about having to face them. If he goes on for too long without adequate sleep, let me know and we'll try something else."

"That's what I was thinking as well," Minerva agreed.

Then Poppy got a mischievous expression on her face that made Minerva nervous. Her words only increased it. "I see that you aren't hiding yourself in front of him any longer."

Minerva blushed lightly. "I… I may have forgotten to put my glamour back on when I rushed to check on him. He was able to see that it wasn't on and I decided that since he'd already seen me, there was no reason to hide anymore." When Poppy smirked in amusement at her, she lightly slapped her friend's arm. "Don't you go getting any perverted ideas. I'm his professor and Head of House for Merlin's sake!" she cried indignantly.

"If you say so, though I'm sure Harry will have trouble seeing you as his professor while you're looking like that," Poppy replied before escaping through the floo.

Minerva stood there gobsmacked at her friend's words until Harry snapped her out of her daze to say that breakfast was ready.

After they finished eating, the two of them spent the day either practicing magic or studying for Harry's NEWTs. They made no mention of Minerva's lack of glamour, though Harry couldn't stop himself from sneaking peaks at her throughout the day when she wasn't paying attention.

The Tonks witches came over for dinner where Tonks described her meeting with Amelia and her agreement to meet Saturday evening. After dinner, Andromeda started teaching Harry about the Wizengamot and his duties and responsibilities as Lord Black. It was a bit boring to him, but she was a good and patient teacher who poked fun at some of the rules and traditions to keep him interested. They stayed at it for about two hours before calling it quits. After, Andromeda and Tonks pulled Minerva and Harry respectively to the side for small talk, both witches curious about why Minerva was in her natural form.

"I see you're not wearing your glamour. I wonder what caused that change," Andromeda asked once out of earshot of the other two.

Like with Poppy, Minerva blushed lightly in embarrassment. "I forgot to put it on when I went to help him with his nightmare last night. When he noticed it, I figured he'd already seen me so there was no point in continuing to hide."

Andromeda peered intently at her friend. "I know you've spent a lot of time together since you started mentoring him, but I didn't realize just how close you two were until seeing how you react to each other."

Minerva hesitated before answering. "He is a good friend," she admitted. "I've tried to keep it as a mentor-student relationship, but… it would be disrespectful to call him anything less than my friend."

"Well it's good that you two are so close or you'd never have been able to talk some sense into him. If not, he probably wouldn't have listened to you," Andromeda remarked.

Minerva nodded in agreement. "Yes, he can be quite stubborn when he gets his mind set on something. I tried to talk to him before he left school, but he was set in his decision to fight on his own. I'm just glad he was able to find me, so I had another chance to talk him out of it."

"Yes, it is interesting how he was able to apparate directly to you and to a place he's never been or had access to," Andromeda mused.

"He had access, though he didn't know that," Minerva clarified. "But I've never brought him here. I added his name after he disappeared. As for him apparating to me specifically… I've seen him do so many things thought impossible that I've stopped trying to explain it."

"True, though he had to be truly focused on you to be able to accomplish it," Andromeda pointed out calmly. She took note of the blush forming in Minerva's cheeks before continuing so the witch couldn't protest her words. "Either way, it's good that he's safe and listening to those who care about him once more."

"Yes, it is," Minerva agreed cautiously, trying to ignore the effect Andromeda's words had on her.

"I'll be back tomorrow same time. You try and get some rest," Andromeda said after a moment She wanted to ask more about Minerva's feelings for Harry but decided to leave it alone for now and continue to observe the two of them. Call her crazy but despite their big age difference, she could actually see them as a couple after seeing how they interacted with each other.

While Andromeda was taking the more subtle approach, Tonks was much blunter with her questions. Then again, she already knew about Harry's feelings, while Andromeda only had suspicions of Minerva's.

"So, what do you think now that you've _really_ seen her?" she asked teasingly, laughing at the blush that immediately formed on his face. "That good, huh?"

"I… uh…" Harry spluttered before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Um… well I understand why she wears a glamour now. If not, none of the wizards would be able to focus on her lessons."

She laughed even harder at him. "You're probably right."

"I'm suddenly really grateful she suggested I take my NEWT for her class. I _know_ I wouldn't be able to focus in her class after this," he admitted.

"You should tell her that," she suggested.

Harry looked at her like she was barmy. "Really? And how well do you think that would go over?"

Tonks shrugged. "Maybe she'll give you a shot."

"Or maybe she'll say we can't be friends anymore," Harry argued, his tone incredulous.

"I doubt she'll stop being your friend just like that," Tonks reasoned, giving him the 'you're being overdramatic' look. "She cares too much about you to do that to you and you know it."

Harry conceded that point at her look but still wasn't convinced it was a good idea. "I know but I don't want to make anything more awkward than things already are. She may have forgiven me for running away and distancing myself, but I still have a lot to make up for. And that's not even mentioning the fact that I'm basically living here with her for the summer as she trains me and helps me study. Do you know how weird things would get if I told her how I feel, and she rejects me? I don't want to make her uncomfortable in her own home."

Tonks sighed, knowing he wouldn't budge at the moment. "Maybe you're right, but I still think it's worth a shot."

"Why are you so determined to get me to tell Minerva how I feel, even though it's just an immature crush?" Harry asked seriously.

"Because excluding my mum, you and McG are the most important people in my life. I want you both to be happy and I think you could do that for each other," Tonks admitted. "Besides, you and I both know that what you feel for her is much more than a simple, immature crush."

The Tonks witches retired to their home soon after with promises to return for dinner the next night, leaving Harry and Minerva with some things to think about that would keep them up for another hour.

The next two days followed pretty much the same pattern. Harry and Minerva would jog around the property and through the forest in the morning before Poppy arrived to check on Harry's injuries. After breakfast, they would practice magic and physical exercises in the training room until it was time for lunch. Once the lunch break was over, they would go in the library to study NEWT material and possible horcrux locations until it was time for Andromeda and Tonks to join them for dinner. After dinner Harry and Andromeda would study politics for about two hours before the four of them would talk about all kinds of things until it was time for wrap things up.

They received replies from Harry's friends as well, with the twins asking if they could meet on Monday to give them a little more time to set up an excuse for their mother. They planned on saying that they wanted Ron and Ginny to help them set up the store, but the supplies wouldn't arrive until Monday. Harry and Minerva saw no problem with that and sent replies to everyone, scheduling the meeting for that day as well as giving them portkeys to bring them here when it was time. Harry also continued to have nightmares at night and Minerva comforted him every time, trying to reassure him as much as she could. She could see that they were badly affecting him and that he wasn't getting enough rest, but still hadn't figured out a way to help him just yet.

\- H.M. –

During breakfast on Friday, after Poppy declared that Harry's physical injuries were fully healed, Hedwig arrived back from her journey.

"Hey girl, how are you doing?" Harry asked his familiar when she landed in front of him. "I missed you while you were gone." Hedwig hooted in appreciation, rubbing her head against his cheek affectionately.

Minerva smiled fondly at the two of them before turning to address the snowy owl. "Hedwig, may I have the letters you retrieved for me?" Hedwig gave Minerva a hoot of approval before holding out her leg with the letters tied to it. "Thank you for making such a long journey for us." The owl hooted in response before turning to Harry with an expectant look.

Harry laughed at her, knowing exactly what she wanted. "Yeah, yeah I know you want your bacon. Just give me a moment alright." He called for Winky to bring some bacon while Minerva opened up the letters, reading them as he played with his owl.

"Matthew will be here on the 23rd with the potion you'll need for the animagus transformation and plans on staying until the process is complete. Samena says she'll be able to make it here on the 16th once she's finished with a job she's working on." Minerva informed him when she had finished both letters.

"Good. At least we'll get some answers about this thing in my head then," Harry replied trying to think positively. "Also, I'm really looking forward to becoming an animagus."

"I can imagine so," Minerva remarked.

Before she could say anything else, another owl flew into the room and interrupted her. Hedwig barked angrily at the owl from her perch on Harry's shoulder, causing it crash into the table in fright.

"Leave the owl alone Hedwig. It's just doing its job," Harry exclaimed. When his owl gave him a blank look, he shook his head at her. "You know you're the only owl for me, but sometimes other birds have to make deliveries to me." Hedwig puffed up her feathers proudly, causing him to shake his head affectionately at her.

Minerva meanwhile removed the letter from the owl who quickly flew back out the window before Hedwig could get to it. "I believe these are your OWL results." She handed it to him and watched as he opened it up, excitement in her voice.

"Yep these are them," he confirmed before deciding to tease her a bit. He slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment. Then he read through his results just as slowly, studying them for longer than necessary as he heard Minerva begin to tap her foot impatiently. Eventually that patience completely ran out.

"Well. Are you going to tell me how you did or not?" she exclaimed, drawing a laugh from Harry.

"Calm down woman! You can see them for yourself!" he said between laughs, handing the results to her. Minerva almost snatched it from his hand. "I wonder what people would think if they knew that the dignified Professor Minerva McGonagall was so impatient," he joked. Minerva swatted at him before turning back to read the paper in her hands. It said as follows:

Harry James Potter has received the following OWL scores:

Astronomy A  
Care of Magical Creatures O  
Charms O  
Defense Against Dark Arts O+  
Divination P  
Herbology E  
History of Magic A  
Potions E  
Transfiguration O+

"You did excellent Harry. I'm very proud of you," she declared happily, her eyes shining with pride.

Harry blushed at her praise. "Yeah well I had a brilliant teacher," he replied modestly.

"Nonsense. You put in the hard work necessary to earn these grades," she insisted. "Divination aside of course."

He laughed at the last part of her comment. "Yeah well I had no intention of taking that class again anyway. I'm actually surprised I didn't get a Troll." He glanced at them again for a moment. "It's also a good thing I'm not planning on being auror any longer or I'd be a bit disappointed by my Potions grade."

Minerva shook her head at that. "Honestly, the fact that you were able to do that well with Snape's less than adequate teaching is amazing in and of itself. Either way, now we can officially start working on scheduling a time for you to take your Transfiguration and Defense NEWTs."

"How are we going to do that without anyone finding out before I take them?" Harry asked curiously. He knew if Dumbledore found out somehow, the man would do everything he could to stop him from taking them.

Minerva thought about it for a few seconds. "I believe you should take them at the ICW office instead of the Ministry of Magic. That way no one can contest your results and the Ministry won't be involved at all. We should ask Amelia if she can help us with that when we see her tomorrow."

He nodded in agreement. "Alright sounds like a plan."

After that, they went into the training room to practice. Harry was getting better at his elemental powers and was able to call them up within a few seconds now, though he still had to concentrate pretty hard to do it. He could even control larger amounts of them. As for his other training, Minerva had him doing exercises and drills to make him even faster and more accurate with his casting. She was also working on his movement and observational skills to help him react instinctively and with little thought or hesitation. Though he felt like he wasn't getting better fast enough, Minerva informed him that he was improving quicker than he realized. She also let him spy on Voldemort before lunch since Poppy had declared him as fully healed. He didn't find anything specific but could tell the dark wizard was planning something. He would have probed harder but was concerned about getting caught, especially since Voldemort was on high alert after the two raids he'd foiled.

The rest of the day Minerva let Harry relax as a congratulations for his OWL results. She surprised him with his broom, which she confiscated from Umbridge, and they spent the hours until Andromeda and Tonks were to arrive in the skies. At dinner, both Tonks witches congratulated Harry as well when they heard the news. They also asked if they could be there when Samena and Matthew arrived and said they would be over for breakfast in the morning. Harry and Minerva agreed and soon after they left for the night.

\- H.M. –

Tonks and Minerva's nights weren't over just yet though since they had an Order meeting to attend which was at the Weasley house. While both had every intention to quit and soon, they'd decided to wait until the right time and continue to gather as much information as they could until then.

They arrived separately to avoid any suspicion and greeted each other as if they hadn't just had dinner together. They greeted others+ as well before sitting down, both taking seats as far away from Dumbledore as possible without being obvious about it. Minerva was seated by Remus while Tonks had plopped down by Hestia. Remus gave his former professor a strange look for a moment, though she was oblivious to it. Ten minutes later, everyone had arrived and were seated, waiting for Dumbledore to start the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming," Dumbledore began. "I would like to start the meeting with updates on the search for Harry. Has anyone learned any new information or heard rumors about any possible sightings?"

Everyone except Snape shook their heads in response.

"Molly, has he tried to make any more contact with Ron and Ginny?" Dumbledore asked the mother of seven.

"No, they haven't received another letter since the first one. Neither has Hermione. They have no idea where he could have gone," Molly replied sadly. Arthur put his arm around her to comfort her.

"Remus, Nymphadora, has he tried to contact either of you?" Dumbledore inquired. Both shook their heads. Tonks hair was red at his use of her first name, but she was smirking internally at his cluelessness. Remus gave her the same strange look as Minerva but remained silent for the moment. He promised himself that he would speak to both witches before he left though.

Kingsley spoke up next. "There have been no reported sightings of Harry, but you should know that a rumor's been going around about him being missing in the Ministry. I believe some of the students noticed that he did not get off the train on the day the students got back. They must have mentioned it to their parents."

"That is unfortunate. We will have to do everything we can to keep this under wraps.?" Dumbledore cautioned. "Severus, have you heard anything?"

"No headmaster. The Dark Lord is unaware of Potter's absence," Snape replied, unconcernedly.

"Very well, at least he is still in the dark, though that will change if the public finds out about it," Dumbledore stated. "Continue to look for him everywhere you can." Dumbledore then asked about other Order matters with the meeting lasting for an hour longer.

When it was over, Tonks discretely pulled Hestia, Charlie, Bill, and Fleur, the newest Order member, to the side one-by-one and away from everyone else to talk to them.

First up was Bill and she made sure to put a privacy charm around them before she started talking. "I have to ask you a serious question and I need your honest answer?"

"What's the matter Tonks?" Bill asked in concern.

She took a deep breath. "I want to know how you feel about the way Dumbledore is running this war?"

"I wish that we were doing more sometimes, but I think Dumbledore knows what he's doing. After all, he's the reason we didn't lose the war last time and he beat Grindelwald so he's the best to lead the war this time," Bill responded. "Why are you asking?"

Tonks thought for a moment to come up with an excuse without revealing too much or looking suspicious. In the end, she decided to give a misleading answer. "I was just thinking that there's more we could be doing, but you're right. Dumbledore knows what he is doing." Technically not a lie but Bill didn't know the true meaning behind it.

She went to Charlie next who had a different response than his brother. "To be honest," I don't think he's doing enough. I've read up on what really happened during the first war and there were too many deaths that could have been prevented if he hadn't been so focused on trying to redeem the death eaters instead of saving innocent lives. I also think he holds back too much important information, leaving us in the dark far too often yet expecting our loyalty."

Tonks gave him a small smile. "I knew you were my best friend for a reason."

"Because I'm awesome," he replied, laughing at the blank look on her face. "Anyway, I guess you're asking me about this because you feel the same way?"

Tonks nodded. "I do. I can't tell you more about this right now but expect something in the mail soon about a new path for this war. Also, don't mention this to anyone else." Charlie nodded in acceptance.

Fleur was her next target. "Ze truth is zat I joined ze Order to 'elp 'arry after what he did for my family. But I don't like ze way Dumbledore seems to treat 'arry as if 'e's a weapon instead of a person. 'e says that 'arry has to be found but not zat 'e's concerned about 'ow 'e is doing. 'arry just lost 'is godfather and is probably 'aving a 'ard time coming to terms wiz it. Yet Dumbledore doesn't talk about zat," Fleur declared, a hint of anger in her voice.

Tonks let the Veela know that she appreciated her anger on Harry's behalf before telling her the same thing she told Charlie. Then she went to her last target – her fellow auror Hestia Jones – asking her the same question.

"I don't know if it's because he's getting old or he's spent too much of his life being told he's right all the time, but he shouldn't be leading this war," Hestia said bluntly. "He keeps most information to his self and seems to have some hidden agenda that he doesn't want us to find out about concerning Harry. Plus, he puts entirely too much trust in Snape who is still a death eater as far as I'm concerned. I was planning on quitting and telling Madame Bones about my involvement soon."

Tonks nodded in satisfaction. "I was going to suggest you do that anyway, though you should probably wait before you quit."

"What aren't you telling me Tonks?" Hestia asked suspiciously.

"I can't reveal too much right now, but I'll be in touch soon with more information," Tonks promised.

"Should I give the same message to Shack?"

Tonks shook her head sadly. "No. Unfortunately, I think he's to wrapped up with Dumbledore for that to be a good idea. He'll have to come to that decision on his own." They said their good-byes before Tonks walked over to where Minerva was waiting for her.

"How did it go?" Minerva asked quietly.

"Everyone except Bill is seeing the old goat for who he is," Tonks replied. She was about to say something else before Remus walked up to them.

"Could I talk with you two?" Remus asked firmly. He walked out of the house before they could respond to him, causing the two witches to look at each other in confusion.

"What do you think that's about?" Tonks asked as they followed after him a few seconds later.

Minerva pondered it until a sinking realization came to her. "He's a werewolf Dora. I believe he was able to smell Harry's scent on us." Tonks gasped in horror. "I can't believe I forgot about that."

"Bloody hell. Well I hope he'll let us explain ourselves before he runs to Dumbledore," Tonks remarked. Minerva nodded in agreement.

They found Remus waiting for them at the end of the Weasley walkway. He put up privacy wards around them before speaking. "As intelligent as the two of you are, I'm sure you've already figured out that I can smell Harry on you, so I'll let you explain why that is the case when neither of you have mentioned running in to him." His tone was no-nonsense as he looked at them expectantly.

"Before I say anything, you must take an oath of secrecy. You can't say anything we tell you to anyone, especially the headmaster," Minerva replied just as firmly. She and Tonks stared him down until he finally relented.

"Very well," Remus said before taking the oath.

When Minerva was satisfied with it, she said, "Harry is staying with me and has been since the first of the month. I won't tell you the whole story because it is his to tell, but he is safe and doing much better than he was when I found him."

"Why haven't you told Dumbledore and the Order this when we've been looking all over for him?" Remus asked, anger creeping into his tone.

"Because Dumbledore can't be trusted," Tonks declared bluntly. "We've learned things that prove he doesn't have Harry's best interests at heart."

"Yes," Minerva affirmed, "and we will no longer allow that man to continue to ruin his life."

"But it's Dumbledore," Remus protested. "He wouldn't hurt Harry intentionally."

Tonks scoffed at that while Minerva responded to him. "He has and if you think really hard about everything you know about Harry's life, you'll realize it as well. And that's not even including how he failed Sirius."

Remus went quiet at that. "Can I see him?" he asked after a moment.

"I'll have to ask him that," Minerva replied. "I'll make sure he writes to you with his answer."

Remus nodded in thanks before apparating away, a lot of questions on his mind.

"Well, that went well," Tonks remarked.

"Indeed, but I think it's time we leave before our luck runs out," Minerva suggested.

\- H.M. –

Minerva told Harry, who had still been awake when she arrived, about how the Order meeting went. When she spoke about Remus, Harry was unsure how to respond to the man who hadn't put as much effort into getting to know him like Sirius did. To help him out, Minerva suggested that he send a letter to the man with the questions he had for him before agreeing to meet with him. With that settled, they both retired for bed.

Unfortunately, a few hours later, Harry was in the throes of a nightmare. As she had for the past few days, Minerva went to soothe him until he woke up from it. When he was calmed, they sat in silence for a moment before she spoke.

"Harry, you can't keep going on like this. You need to get some real sleep or you're going to cease being able to function," she stated.

Harry shrugged indifferently. "I'm used to having little sleep, so I'll be fine. I should probably start putting up privacy wards, so I'll stop waking you up though."

"No. You will not put up any wards and you aren't going to be okay if you continue on this path," Minerva argued sternly. "Everyone needs their sleep, even you."

"Well what do you want me to do? I don't know how to stop them from happening," Harry countered defensively.

Minerva sighed. "I know that Harry, but we have to do something because this isn't healthy."

They lapsed into silence, both trying to figure out what to do. Then an idea popped into Minerva's head, though she was reluctant to suggest it since it was highly inappropriate. She glanced at Harry, seeing the bags under his reddish eyes and the paleness of his skin. He was suffering and needed to sleep badly, but there was nothing else she could think of for the moment. With that in mind, she gathered up her Gryffindor courage and turned to face him.

"I have an idea. What if I… stay in here with you for the night?" she said cautiously. Harry looked at her like she was crazy, so she hurried to explain herself. "It's not a permanent solution, but I know that sometimes another's presence can help keep nightmares at bay or at least make them less traumatic." When Harry didn't respond, she was afraid she'd made him uncomfortable. "We don't have to do it if you don't want to. It was only a suggestion."

Harry shook himself out of his stupor at her words. While he knew this was risky due to his crush, he couldn't make himself do the right thing and say no. So instead he cautiously said, "Okay, let's try it. At least for now."

With the decision made they were still for an awkward moment before rearranging themselves in more comfortable positions. They kept some room between them to remain appropriate, but they were turned to face each other.

"Go to sleep Harry. I'll be right here if you need me," Minerva whispered. She reached out her hand to run it softly through his hair and after a few moments he drifted off. She stayed up a little longer, lost in her thoughts about everything that's happened over the past few weeks. Even with all the stuff about Dumbledore and horcruxes, what was concerning her most at the moment was her feelings about Harry. They were changing, intensifying, and she didn't know what to do about them or how to orient them back into much more appropriate realms.

_I don't know what's going on, but I have to stop it before it gets too far_.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I probably should have mentioned this in the beginning, but Minerva was born on October 4th, 1940 for this story, making her 56 right now. I just wanted to clarify that for anyone who was wondering about it.

As always, thank you for your reviews and continued interest in this story.

* * *

Chapter 8

The next morning, Andromeda and Tonks came over for breakfast just as planned. Harry and Minerva, after a short discussion, both decided not to mention their sleeping arrangements to the two witches for the moment. It had worked though because Harry hadn't had another nightmare and was feeling refreshed from the deep sleep he'd gotten. They were a bit awkward around each other when they woke up but managed to get over it by the time their morning run was completed.

When the four of them had finished eating breakfast, they were visited by Harry's three house-elves who had been checking in with him periodically throughout the week.

"Master Harry, we've finished decorating Black Manor," Dobby announced.

Harry smiled at them. "Really? That's great work guys!" He turned to face the other witches. "How about we all check it out right now? It's not like we have anything planned until this evening," he suggested eagerly.

When they all agreed, the three elves popped them to the main entrance. To say they were shocked by what they saw would be entirely accurate. It looked like a completely different place. Gone were the dark and drab décor that gave the place its oppressive atmosphere. Instead, everything was light and peaceful while still looking stately and refined. It was even missing the painting of Walburga Black, something all four of them were relieved by.

Harry, after getting over his surprise, directed his elves to give them a full tour and that's what they did, showing them every single room in the manor. The rest of it didn't disappoint either. Each room was unique while still keeping with the stately yet homely theme of the manor. Some were designed to be more intimate while others were more formal. They even saw the elves' quarters which were quite comfortable for them, something Harry approved of immensely.

The last two rooms they were shown were the master's suite and the master's study. As requested, the suite was decorated to his tastes with dark brown furniture, silver grey walls, and red accents and bed spread. Winky had even fixed and cleaned the jacket Sirius gave him and it was laying across his bed. The study was decorated with same color scheme as well, but it had one addition that caused Minerva to question him. Besides the large desk, comfortable chair, fireplace, and sofa, in the right corner of the room sat an ebony brown baby piano.

"You can play the piano?" she asked him in surprise.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly. "I can play a little."

"Code words for he's musical genius," Tonks interjected.

"I wouldn't say I'm that good," Harry argued. "But I'm not bad at it."

"How long have you been playing?" Andromeda asked.

"Since I was eight," Harry replied. "It's a good way to relieve stress for me. Dobby must have added it to the room. I forgot that he caught me playing one night."

"You've played on one at the castle?" Minerva asked.

Harry nodded in confirmation. "I found a room during my first year with one in it. When we discovered the ROR, I sometimes had the room make one for me to play on."

"You'll have to play for us one day," Minerva remarked, curious to hear how good he was.

"Yeah… one day," Harry replied.

After that, Harry retrieved his jacket off of his bed and they adjourned into the kitchen.

"You guys did a spectacular job," Harry praised.

"Yes, what you did with this place is nothing short of amazing," Minerva agreed. "No one will recognize it."

"You guys can decorate my place anytime you want to," Tonks remarked, only half joking.

"I can't believe this is the same place. I never thought I would ever feel comfortable here, but you three made it possible," Andromeda declared.

All three elves blushed at the compliments and humbly accepted them.

"After all of your hard work, you three deserve a break. Take the rest of the weekend off as a thank you for what you've done to this place," Harry announced, causing the three of them to thank him profusely. Then he invited them to sit down as he and the witches asked them various questions about how their cleaning and renovation process went. The humans made them comfortable by treating them like normal, intelligent beings and after a few minutes they were conversing freely, without any hesitation.

After a while, Harry sat back as a nagging thought came to him. It took him a few minutes of racking his brain until it hit him. "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but while you three were cleaning up, did you happen to see a locket around here? It was shaped like an octagon with Slytherin's crest on it. I really need it."

Minerva looked up at him in surprise. "Are you sure you saw it here?" Tonks and Andromeda perked up, curious about what they were talking about.

Harry nodded in confirmation before turning back to the elves. "You're not in trouble if you have it, but it's important that I get it. I need it to stop Voldemort."

Kreacher cautiously stepped forward, his head bowed. "I know what locket you're referring to Master Harry." He popped away, returning a few seconds later with the locket in his hand. "Old master Regulus took this from You-Know-Who and asked me to destroy it, but I failed him. He died while getting it."

Harry kneeled down in front of Kreacher, compassion in his expression and his voice. "I'm sure you tried everything you could to destroy it, but it's not your fault that you were unable to do so. Only few substances can destroy this thing and they're very rare. Don't worry, though. I know exactly how to take care of it for you. Regulus's last wish will be fulfilled, I promise you."

"Thank you, Master Harry," Kreacher said quietly, a tear running down his cheek.

"That's a horcrux, isn't it?" Andromeda asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yep," Harry replied. "We should probably put it somewhere where it can't influence any of us. According to Riddle's memories, it can do so if you're left in its company for too long."

"How are we going to destroy it though?" Tonks asked.

Harry smirked. "Well, one of the substances that can destroy it happens to be Basilisk venom. I happen to know exactly where to get it."

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Minerva guessed.

"Five points to Gryffindor Professor."

\- H.M. –

They left Black Manor shortly after that to return to Minerva's place. Harry, realizing they should have done this earlier, let Tonks and Andromeda see the memories about the horcruxes. He showed them everything except his parent's death. Then they spent time in the training room watching and helping Harry practice. He and Tonks even had a few mock duels where he managed to beat her two out of three times. Instead of getting upset about it though, Tonks took the defeats graciously and congratulated him on the progress he had made. When it was time for a break, Harry, remembering that he'd given his elves time off, made a lunch of fish and chips, surprising the witches with his cooking skills.

An hour before it was time to meet with Amelia, they went over how much they wanted to tell her. After vigorous discussion, they decided to reveal everything, including the horcrux in Harry's scar unless she gave them a reason not to. Right before it was time to go, Minerva gathered up the memories they planned on showing Amelia, leaving her pensieve since Tonks informed them that her boss had one of her own. Harry also made sure to bring his jacket with him just in case. Then, Tonks gave them the floo address for the Bones manor and one by one they disappeared into the flames.

\- H.M. -

When they arrived, Amelia was waiting for them on her sofa in front of the fireplace, though she stood up to greet them quickly.

"Welcome to Bones Manor Mr. Potter," she stated. "Minerva, Andromeda I did not realize you were coming as well."

Tonks bowed her head sheepishly, her hair turning slightly red. "I may have forgotten to mention that." Andromeda and Minerva shook their heads at her.

"I'm sorry my daughter did not inform you beforehand. I promise I raised her better than that," Andromeda said, teasing her daughter.

"Well, no harm done. Both of you are more than welcome and it's good to see you both. I had Topsy make plenty of food just in case anyway so there's more than enough for all of you," Amelia stated.

"It's good to see you as well," Minerva remarked.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Madame Bones," Harry said. "Will Susan be joining us for dinner?"

"I was assured by Auror Tonks that this meeting would be worth it," Amelia replied. "As for Susan, she is spending the night at the Abbot's house so we can talk privately. Now, before we get into what will likely be a very intense conversation, let us eat."

She led them to the dining room where they sat down at the table, which already had the food on it. Amelia was at the head with Tonks and Andromeda on her left and Harry and Minerva on her right. Almost immediately after they were seated, Topsy popped in to take their drink orders, bringing them back a few seconds later.

"Thank you Topsy," Amelia said gratefully to her elf who bowed before popping away.

They all filled their plates and began to eat, conversing about safer subjects for the moment. Harry and Minerva explained how she had been secretly mentoring him since his fourth year and that he was staying at her house for the summer, but not how he came to be there. Tonks described how she and Harry had become friends and the auror lessons she'd given him. Andromeda informed Amelia of Harry's status as Lord Black and that she was teaching him about politics and what that status meant since he had very little information on the subject. Amelia described the political climate at the moment, letting them know that Minister Fudge was barely holding on to his position.

When they were finished eating, Topsy cleared the table of food and brought Amelia her pensieve as well as some pastries to snack on.

"Well Mr. Potter, my niece has a high opinion of you and she's very grateful for your tutoring this past year, as am I," Amelia began. "She's shown me the skills you taught her and the rest of the DA. You seem to be a very capable teacher."

Harry smiled humbly. "Susan's a strong and brilliant witch, I just helped her realize her potential. As for being a good teacher, I learned from the best."

Amelia glanced at Minerva briefly before nodding in agreement. "Yes, you have," she agreed before becoming serious. "Now, I think we should get to the reason for this meeting. Tonks has informed me that you will no longer be following Dumbledore and that you have information relevant to the war effort."

Harry nodded. "Yes. It's a long story, but before I get to the stuff about the war, you need some background information." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't really know how much you know about my so-called childhood, but the truth is that I didn't really have one. I was forced to live with muggle relatives on my mum's side, the Dursleys, who hated me and treated me like a slave. I didn't know anything about my parents or magic until I got my Hogwarts letter and Hagrid brought me to Diagon Alley. I thought things would get better once I started school, but unfortunately it didn't. While I finally made friends and was away from the Dursleys, school wasn't safe for me. I've lost count of how many times my I almost lost my life in the past five years, but I'm sure it was entirely too many times. I have memories to show you some of those incidents, but the main point is that Dumbledore is responsible for every single one of them in some way, shape, or form. He cannot be trusted to do the right thing because he is too focused on accomplishing his so-called Greater Good."

Minerva spoke up next. "He has put not only Harry, but all students at Hogwarts in danger too many times trying to accomplish some scheme or another that only he knows about. I've tried to do everything I can to mitigate the disasters he creates, but I only have so much power."

"May I see these memories before we continue," Amelia requested.

"Of course," Harry replied as he dropped the relevant memories from his past five years into the pensieve. The other three witches, who hadn't seen them all before either also asked if they could watch them which Harry agreed to. He sat silently in thought as he waited for them to finish, which took about half an hour. When they finished, they had to take a moment to compose themselves, all rattled by what they saw. Minerva was the worse off, causing Harry to look at her in concern. She waved him off before he could say anything.

"You didn't tell me it was this bad," Tonks exclaimed, looking at Harry in shock and horror.

"Yes, you really have a talent for understating things," Andromeda agreed sadly. "I can't believe that manipulative bastard let all of that happen at a school. If it weren't for you and your friends, many would have died."

"That man cannot be trusted whatsoever," Amelia declared angrily when she had regained her composure. "He did not inform my department about any of these incidents, which is a mandatory protocol he's supposed to follow when the lives of the students are in danger." She took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "As for you Mr. Potter, the fact that you not only survived these dangerous situations, but emerged victorious, is a testament to your strength, talent, and drive. Susan told me that there was something special about you and now I understand why."

"Thank you, Madam Bones," Harry replied bashfully.

"You're welcome. Now, if you have more shocking information to tell me, I think I'm going to need a stronger drink."

Harry laughed grimly. "You'll be wanting to get that drink then because that's not the worst of it."

Amelia did just that, asking Topsy to bring a bottle of scotch and glasses for all of them, except Harry. After taking a healthy swig from her glass, she spoke again. "All right then. What else do have for me?" The other three witches drunk some of their alcohol as well, with Minerva drinking the most.

"I've read the papers speculations on me being the 'chosen one'. Well there is a prophecy concerning me and Voldemort, one that Dumbledore knew about and kept hidden from everyone, including me. He didn't tell me until after the battle at the in the DOM, right after I… lost Sirius," Harry explained before reciting it for her.

"And let me guess. He did nothing to prepare you for this, has he?" Amelia asked bitterly.

Harry scoffed. "The only thing he's told me is that love is the 'power he knows not'. If it weren't for Minerva's training, I would have died in that graveyard at the end of my fourth year before I could even learn about the prophecy."

"At least somebody has some common sense," Amelia remarked. "While I do not doubt the power that love has seeing as there are several rituals that call for it and the DOM has an entire department devoted to studying it, you won't be able to stop Voldemort by giving him a hug. From what you've told me, it sounds like Dumbledore thinks you have to be sacrificed to defeat Voldemort."

"You're right, Madam Bones," Harry confirmed. "That's exactly what he believes."

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked cautiously.

"Riddle made items called horcruxes," Harry stated, causing Amelia to gasp in horror. "I'm going to assume you know what they are."

"Unfortunately, I do," Amelia replied. "I came across them during a case once when some idiot tried to create one. But you said horcruxes as in plural?"

"Seven in total," Minerva confirmed.

"How did you learn of this?" Amelia asked. She didn't doubt them, just needed confirmation.

Harry looked down for a moment, causing Minerva to put her hand on his shoulder and squeeze it comfortably. "It's okay Harry. Amelia won't think any differently of you if you tell her. She's always been a good judge of character."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement before looking back up at Amelia. "I don't know if you've heard rumors about it, but the night Riddle murdered my parents, he unintentionally formed a connection with me. Recently, I decided to probe this link and gained access to some of his memories, learning about the horcruxes through them. I know what they are, but not where they are. They include: his diary, from the Chamber of Secrets incident; the Gaunt family ring, his maternal family; Ravenclaw's diadem; Slytherin's locket; Hufflepuff's cup; his snake, Nagini; and… and me."

Amelia was horrified, though she didn't think any less of Harry because of it. "That's why the two of you are connected?" Harry nodded in response. "This is why Dumbledore has been trying to condition you as a sacrifice?" Harry nodded again. "I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. It's bad enough to have a psychopathic dark wizard after you, but to know that a piece of his soul is inside of you… I can't imagine how horrible that feels."

"It's not easy, but I've got people on my side who care enough about me to remind me who I am when I'm feeling low," Harry admitted sadly.

"Well, you can count me as another person on your side. Anything I can help you with, just ask," Amelia declared officially.

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "I have copies of all of Riddle's memories for you to view. You should also know that I can sometimes spy on him through our connection, though it's quite dangerous. It's how I was able to learn of the two Death Eater raids I stopped."

"You're the hooded stranger, aren't you? Amelia asked, quickly making the connection.

"Yes," Harry said, briefly putting up the hood of his jacket to prove it, "and before you ask, I had just found out about the horcrux in my scar and wasn't in the right frame of mind when I went to the second raid."

"Very well," Amelia said after giving him a stern look. "I'm sure Minerva has already reprimanded you for that so I will leave it alone. Next time you learn of a raid or attack, I expect to be informed of it. Just because you are the one in the prophecy doesn't mean you have to do everything. My aurors are quite capable when they are utilized properly."

"Of course," Harry replied.

"There are some things we could use your help with," Minerva spoke. "Harry is planning on taking his NEWTs for Transfiguration and Defense to give him more free time while in school, but we don't want anyone to find out about it until afterwards."

Amelia nodded in understanding. "I know someone in the ICW who can help with that. I can also schedule for you to take your apparition exam since you are eligible for it."

"That would be great Madam Bones," Harry said thankfully.

"Your welcome and please call me Amelia," she replied.

"Only if you call me Harry," he responded with a smile.

Andromeda spoke up next, an idea having formed in her mind. "There is another matter to consider. With the political climate as it is and Harry back to being considered a hero, we can change some things in the government."

"What do you mean Andy?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Well, you will be attending the next Wizengamot session to claim your seat and nominate me as your proxy. This presents an opportunity for us to have a vote of no-confidence for Fudge, something you can call for due to your status. We could have someone who will actually take this war serious nominated if we play our cards right," Andromeda explained.

"But who would we nominate?" Tonks asked. "It would have to be someone who has the respect of most of the light and neutral families."

Minerva looked at Amelia, realizing where Andromeda was going with this. "It's simple. We nominate Amelia. She is known for being fair, just, honest, and uncorrupt. She also has a reputation as a strong fighter and leader and is the most respected official in the Ministry."

"Exactly," Andromeda concluded.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. It gives us the ability to neutralize Riddle's influence in the Ministry and actually use its resources to effectively protect the country and fight the war," Harry noted.

Amelia glared at all of them, not really wanting the responsibility but seeing the reason in it. "Fine. If you believe it will work, I will do it. We'll have to reach out to some of the neutral and light families however."

"I can do that," Andromeda declared.

Before anyone could say anything else, Harry got a sharp pain in his scar. "Bloody hell, Riddle's here!" he shouted.

"How many of them are here Harry?" Minerva asked urgently as they all stood up from their seats and drew their wands. Harry pulled up his hood to hide his presence.

"Fifty of them, with Bellatrix and Fenrir Greyback," Harry relayed after he had quickly probed Voldemort's mind. "They've already put up the anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards and jammed the floo connection. They also seem to have disabled all of the wards on your property, so this has to be an inside job."

"Someone will be paying for this," Amelia snarled angrily. Internally, she was thankful she wasn't alone, and Susan was safe at the Abbot's house.

"Do you have another way out of here Boss?" Tonks asked as they heard them start banging on both the front and back doors.

"Never had a need for one," Amelia replied. The room they were in had no doors or windows to the outside, leaving them completely trapped.

"Well, I guess we'll have to fight our way out," Harry declared firmly before calling for his three elves. "I know I gave you the weekend off, but we have an emergency here. I need you three to get as much of Amelia and Susan's stuff out of here as possible but stay safe and hidden." The three of them nodded before popping away. Amelia did the same with Topsy. "If only they could pop us out of here," he muttered aloud. The others silently agreed with him. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible for a house-elf to apparate a human through anti-apparition wards, though they themselves could move through them freely because they weren't recognized as beings by the design of the wards.

"Harry, we need to even the odds, like you did during the second raid," Minerva instructed. He nodded in acknowledgement and the two of them began to showcase their Transfiguration prowess. The changed the dining room into a makeshift battlefield, using everything around them to create barriers and covers to help neutralize the enemies' advantage of numbers. When they ran out of material, they started conjuring up some things, though not too much since they needed to conserve their energy. The other three witches help where they could, using charms where appropriate to enhance some of the objects that had been created.

Just as they were finishing, the first wave of Death Eaters had arrived. Their enemies were taken completely by surprise when they saw five, armed and dangerous people instead of the two they were expecting.

"She's got company," one of the Death Eaters shouted before the spells started to fly. While the Death Eaters threw spells without thought or strategy, the defenders made good use of their environment and carefully selected and aimed their spells. They made sure to use spells and methods that would permanently take their foes out of the battle, some of which were lethal. They also worked as a team, watching each other's back and fighting like a unit, unlike the Death Eaters who fought only for themselves.

After fifteen minutes and with the first wave of enemies almost completely defeated, the second wave arrived, with Bellatrix and Greyback in the front.

"Where's Riddle?" Tonks asked Harry quietly.

"He's still out in the front doing some type of ritual I think," Harry whispered back.

"That's not a good sign," Tonks muttered, echoing all of their thoughts.

They couldn't say anymore as Bellatrix and Greyback had stopped walking. The latter cackled insanely when she recognized her sister and niece.

"Dromeda and little Dora," she called mockingly.

"Bellatrix," Andromeda responded coldly.

"I think you and I have some unfinished business Auntie," Tonks challenged angrily.

Bellatrix laughed even louder until Tonks sent a severing curse at her which she barely managed to dodge. "I will kill you blood-traitor, just like I killed Sirius!" she shouted as the battle began in earnest again. This round was much more intense as these Death Eaters were much more experienced than the first batch were. Still, the group of five continued to hold their own against them as they effectively used the battlefield they'd created. They were starting to sustain some injuries though and time was working against them. Yet despite the odds, the group was able to thin the numbers down. But more kept coming and they'd been at it for a while.

Ten minutes into it, Bellatrix managed to reach Tonks, starting a one-on-one battle between them. Andromeda saw this but was unable to get to them due to the Death Eaters she was taking on at the moment. Tonks was undeterred by her crazy aunt though, fighting as hard as she could against the dark witch. Unlike the time in the DOM, she was able to remain calm and focus on the duel instead of allowing her emotions to control her. Bellatrix was surprised by this but tried to ignore the unease it gave her. She constantly mocked her niece as they fought to anger her, but Tonks was unfazed by her remarks.

Greyback had also managed to get close to the defenders, positioning himself near Harry as he waited for an opportunity to pounce. When it came, Harry had just incapacitated someone and was caught off-guard as Greyback slammed into him from behind. The force the werewolf used sent them crashing through a wall and made Harry lose his grip on his wand. They tumbled over together several times before slamming into an object that caused them to become separated. Unarmed, most wizards would have been powerless against a werewolf, even one that wasn't changed. Harry wasn't most wizards though. Instead of panicking, he jumped to his feet and set himself in a defensive stance, his body loose and ready to react at any time.

Greyback also got to his feet, though slower than Harry did, and looked at him curiously. "You know, most wizards recognize that this is a losing battle. You must be really stupid to think you can actually fight me," he challenged.

Harry chuckled darkly. "Or maybe I just know what I'm doing," he countered calmly.

"Tell me your name, so I know who I'm about to kill," Greyback boasted as he tensed his muscles, ready to attack.

"Why, when you probably won't live long enough for it to matter," Harry retorted back.

Greyback, angered by his words, charged recklessly after him. Harry jumped out of the way easily.

"Alright, so you may have a bit of talent, but that's not enough to save you," Greyback taunted before coming after him again.

No words were spoken after that as both fighters focused on the battle. Greyback came at Harry hard and unrelentingly but Harry fought back just as hard. They both landed several blows on each other, though Greyback's were a bit harder due to his enhanced strength. The werewolf even managed to cut him across his face with one clawed finger, with Harry barely able to move fast enough to avoid the other claws. Then fatigue began to catch up with Harry as his recently healed body didn't have his normal endurance just yet, allowing Greyback to land a damaging punch that knocked him through the hole they had made in the wall earlier. While his jacket gave him some protection, his whole body still ached from the hard impact with the floor. Desperate to survive, Harry practically begged his elemental magic to work for him as the werewolf stalked toward him to deliver the killing strike. When Greyback was about two feet away, Harry managed to call up a strong wind and quickly sent it towards opponent. It lifted Greyback in the air and slammed him into the far wall, which cracked in several places, weakening the protections on it. Then, while Greyback was trying to get up, Harry found his wand nearby by him and quickly snatched it up before sending an overpowered severing curse at him. Surprising both of them, it decapitated him almost instantly. The werewolf's head tumbled to the ground, rolling around for a moment until it came to a stop. Thanking his lucky stars, Harry hurried back into the room where the rest were still fighting.

Minerva, Amelia, and Andromeda were hard at work battling the rest of the remaining Death Eaters, while Tonks was occupied with Bellatrix. The three older witches' performances showed exactly why others were wary to go up against them as they held their enemies at bay, taking them out one-by-one. Andromeda used her extensive knowledge of charms and barely legal curses to fight and defend her allies. Amelia went completely on the offensive, barraging her opponents with high-powered spells that kept them constantly on their guard. Minerva proved her worthiness for the title Mistress of Transfiguration as she artfully used the environment to her advantage. Anything they threw at her, she found a way to turn it back on them. They simply couldn't keep up with her.

Tonks was also still fighting her aunt valiantly, showing why she was considered one of the best aurors in the department. Bellatrix was ruthless in her attacks, but Tonks gave as good she got, using lethal spells just shy of the Unforgivables. They both had cuts and bruises from their fight, but they kept on going, neither giving the other a break.

Then, when Harry ran back into the room, Voldemort finally decided to show his face. The defenders all ran back to each other to form a united front as the Death Eaters scurried to stand behind their master.

"Amelia Bones, we did not expect for you to have visitors. Especially not those as esteemed as Minerva McGonagall, Andromeda Tonks, and her daughter," Voldemort drawled.

"Yet you brought fifty of your followers with you," Amelia retorted angrily.

Voldemort chuckled, not rising to her taunt. "After how long you have fought, and you still have spirit? I could use someone like you on my side."

Harry spoke up this time, making sure his voice was modified to avoid being identified. "You have a lot of nerve asking someone to join you when you've killed their family."

Voldemort turned his attention on Harry, though he didn't know it was him. "And who might you be?"

"The Daily Prophet has taken to calling me the 'Hooded Stranger'. I had fun causing you endless frustration. Looks like I'm about to do the same thing yet again," Harry mocked.

"You dare talk to the Dark Lord with such disrespect," Bellatrix shouted furiously, her wand drawn as she readied to send a curse at him.

"Enough Bella," Voldemort commanded before turning back to Harry. "You have proven yourself to be a formidable foe wizard, yet you are on the losing side. Tell me who you are, and I might grant you the chance of true power."

Harry scoffed at him. "Do you take me for an idiot? Just because these lot are dumb enough to follow you doesn't mean I am. I know for a fact that you aren't the type to share power. No, you like to horde it all for yourself. Besides, you're completely insane and unstable, a combination that causes you to lash out at your subordinates when you don't get your way like a petulant child." Harry's voice turned cold as he concluded his answer. "No, I will never join someone like you."

Anger flashed through Voldemort's eyes briefly before he regained control of himself. "Then I will make sure the last moments of your life are filled with a pain you've never experienced." Then he addressed the rest of the defenders. "And what of the rest of you? Will you join me or die like your foolish comrade?"

Minerva spoke for all of them, a smirk on her face. "The answer is a resounding no."

"So be it," Voldemort snarled before he began throwing spells at them. The five of them shielded what they could and dodged what they couldn't as they worked together to hold him off. His Death Eaters stood back and watched, cheering for their master and taunting the defenders, who ignored their words. They were fully focused on the duel. However, after a few minutes, things started looking bleak as their strength began to falter. While they had been fighting for over an hour, Voldemort was fully refreshed, and that disparity began to show. When Harry had to pull Minerva out of the way of the Killing curse, they knew it was time to get out of there before he killed them.

Harry thought hard before coming up with a desperate plan to get away. Hoping it would work, he looked at them all and mouthed the words, 'get ready to duck', before turning back to face Voldemort. "Hey Tom!" he shouted loudly enough to be heard.

Then before Voldemort could react, he shouted, "Expulso," his wand pointed to the ceiling. The five of them jumped out of the way as everything from above came crashing down, causing chaos among their enemy.

"Alright, I've got an idea," Harry whispered quickly to the others. "Riddle won't leave until he thinks we're dead so how about we transfigure somethings to look like us and sneak out while they're distracted. I'm sure me and Minerva can manage it."

They all nodded in agreement. The two Transfiguration geniuses did as planned, turning five pieces of broken furniture into exact replicas of them all, except for Harry. They didn't want anyone to find out that he was the Hooded Stranger just yet, so they gave his replica a generic and unrecognizable face instead. Harry also made sure to add his coat to his replica to make it more realistic. Tonks added cuts and bruises to the bodies to show their battle damage. Andromeda added some charms to help the spells hold and maintain their life-like qualities while Amelia threw debris onto them to make it look like the ceiling had come crashing down on and around them. Once that was done, they moved to find a way out.

Harry led them through the hole that he and Greyback had created, remembering the wall he'd cracked by throwing the werewolf into it. He stopped in front of it, trying to see if he could break it completely once Amelia confirmed that it led to the outside.

"Wow Harry, remind me not to piss you off," Tonks muttered, referring to the decapitated head of Greyback.

"I didn't actually mean for that to happen," Harry defended.

"No, but you did what you had to do to survive," Amelia pointed out.

"There is no shame in that," Minerva added.

Harry nodded distractedly as he continued to examine the wall. Then, without warning, he sent a highly concentrated blasting curse into the weakest point of the wall followed quickly by a silencing charm to muffle the sound. The wall blew apart exposing the outside world.

"Very good job Harry," Andromeda remarked as they walked outside to get beyond the apparition wards.

"Yes, I was very impressed by your performance," Amelia added.

"See, I told you he was great, Boss," Tonks exclaimed.

Minerva, seeing that Harry was sagging from fatigue, moved to support his weight. "Thanks Minerva," Harry said tiredly.

"You're welcome. I think you may have overdone it though," Minerva replied.

"It worked," Harry pointed out.

Minerva smiled at him laughing gently. "Indeed, it did. I'm very proud of you."

"Hey Amelia, I'm sorry about your house," Harry said.

Amelia shook her head at him. "You just helped save my life yet you're apologizing about my house. Even after you instructed your house-elves to get as much of Susan and mines things as they could. You definitely are a unique young man. One that, after tonight, I'm positive is going to win this war."

"That's Harry for you, a one-of-a-kind wizard," Andromeda noted.

Soon after, they reached the point where they could apparate. Harry told Amelia the secret of Black Manor and gave her the coordinates so she could get there, realizing that it would be safest place for them at the moment. Four pops signaled that their escape was successful.

Meanwhile, Voldemort, sent two of his Death Eaters to find them. They searched through the debris until they came upon all five bodies trapped under piles of damaged wood. One of them cast a spell on the bodies to check for signs of life. When it came up negative, they hurried back to their master to report their findings.

"Good," Voldemort replied before leading them out of the house. Standing in front of the manor, he cast the final step of a ritual he had prepared earlier for the destruction of it and sent his mark up into the sky while his Death Eaters dismantled the wards. They apparated away after, leaving a few minutes before the aurors arrived to see the damage that had been done. By the time the aurors got there, the entire building was burned down to the ground and the Dark Mark hung ominously above it.

\- H.M. –

When they arrived at Black Manor, Harry almost fell to the ground because his legs gave out on him. Minerva was able to catch him, but his condition worried her.

"I'm fine Minerva," Harry protested, not wanting her to make a fuss over him.

"No, you aren't. I need to get Poppy," she stated. "I'm sure all of us could use some healing."

"Agreed. I haven't fought that hard since the first war," Amelia said.

Once they got inside and Harry was situated on a sofa, Minerva floo called Poppy who picked up after a few seconds. "Minerva, what seems to be the matter? Are you and Harry alright?"

"We're okay, but we had an unexpected visit from Death Eaters while we were meeting with Amelia. All of us, including Andromeda and Tonks, need to be checked for injuries and Harry seems to have used to much magic," Minerva explained quickly.

"I'll be there in a moment," Poppy replied.

While they waited, Harry and Amelia's house-elves popped into the room.

"We got almost everything from Bones Manor," Dobby stated.

"Yes, I's made sure we get all of you and Mistress Susan's important stuff, Mistress Amelia," Topsy added.

"Thank you Topsy. You did very well," Amelia replied.

"Yeah, good job all of you," Harry spoke up, his voice low. "Please make sure you find a comfortable place for Topsy to sleep and set up bedrooms for Minerva, Amelia, Dora, and Andy. Oh, and also for Susan."

"Yes, Master Harry," Kreacher replied, his words echoed by Dobby and Winky. They popped away just as Poppy arrived.

"Well, it seems like you five had quite the eventful night," Poppy remarked as she put her supplies on the table. She turned to walk toward Harry to check him first since he seemed to be in the worst condition.

"Look at them first. I'm fine, just tired," Harry said.

"I'll be the judge of that," Poppy countered as she continued to walk over to him. Against his protests, she removed his jacket and shirt to check the damage, scanning his body with her wand. There were bruises along his chest and back, but not nearly as bad as the ones from last time. He had some minor scrapes and bruises on his hands and legs as well. The most serious injury was the single claw mark on his face. It stretched diagonally from above his left eyebrow to his hairline and she examined it closely until she realized what it was.

"You fought a werewolf?" Poppy asked, a bit horrified.

"Yeah, Greyback to be exact," Harry confirmed. Poppy looked at him in awed shock for a moment.

Tonks remark didn't help to calm her. "He bloody decapitated him is more accurate."

The other three witches shook their heads at her. "I don't think that makes it any better," Andromeda noted.

"How do you get yourself into these situations?" Poppy asked exasperatedly.

"At least I wasn't alone this time," Harry defended. "Though I probably shouldn't mention that Voldemort was there as well."

"What?" Poppy asked, barely remaining calm.

"Don't worry Poppy. We managed to get away before he could really do some damage," Harry tried to reassure her.

The healer shook her head at him and his ability to understate things before taking a calming breath. She scanned his injuries once more before telling him her diagnosis. "Well, you don't have to worry about being turned but I will keep an eye on it and you. It will definitely leave a scar, however I'm not sure if you will have any behavioral changes or not. You'll have to let me know if you notice anything different about yourself or your thoughts.  
When Harry voiced his consent, she continued. "You have used quite a bit of magic, but not enough to completely deplete your core. It should recharge over night, but you'll have to get plenty of rest. As for your other injuries, some bruise paste and pain potion should fix you up soon enough, but I want you to take it easy for at least tomorrow." Poppy decided. She applied the necessary salves, healed up his cuts and scrapes, and made him drink the potion before turning to heal everyone else.

The others also had various cuts and bruises littering their bodies with Tonks having suffered a cut on her arm from a dark curse, Amelia a burn on her shoulder, Andromeda a sprained ankle, and Minerva a cut on her leg. Poppy took care of them all setting up a screen to give them privacy as she applied the salves to them. Then she gave them their potions and instructed them all to take it easy tomorrow before leaving, promising to return in the morning.

"Do you want to get Susan tonight?" Minerva asked Amelia.

"No, I'll get her from the Abbots first thing in the morning," Amelia replied after a moment of thought. "No need to wake her up in the middle of the night to tell her that her home is gone."

The house-elves popped in to show them all to their rooms after that. They bid each other good night before retiring to bed, ready for sleep after their long night. Minerva helped Harry to his room, laying him down in his bed. She cast a cleansing charm on him since she knew he didn't have enough energy to bathe right now. She also transfigured his clothes into something more comfortable for him to sleep in.

"Are you going to be all right for the night, or should I give you a Dreamless sleep potion?" she asked in concern.

"I don't want to take it," Harry argued stubbornly.

"You need your rest Harry, we all do," Minerva pointed out. "I'm only asking you to take it for one night."

Harry, dazed from exhaustion, asked something he normally wouldn't have the courage to. "Will you stay with me instead please? I don't want to sleep alone."

She sighed, unable to say no to him. "Okay. Just let me take a shower first and I'll be right back." He muttered a noise of consent and she left to go to her room which was across the hall.

Fifteen minutes later, she returned, feeling much better now that she was clean. Harry was already sleep when she got back. Hesitantly, she slipped into the bed and moved over until there was only a foot of space between them. Like the night before, she moved her hand to run her fingers through his hair soothingly, drifting off to sleep a few minutes later as her exhaustion caught up with her.

* * *

AN: As you've read, I tried to write a big action scene. Hopefully it wasn't too hard for you all to follow. Also, if anyone's wondering why Harry is able to fight off a werewolf, it will be fully explained some in either the next chapter or the one after it.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: After a lot of thought, I've realized that I don't have enough time to focus on more than one story at once. So, I will continue working on this one until it's finished while putting the other two on hiatus. For those of you who might be disappointed, I promise that I will come back to them once I finish this one, I just need to write one at a time.

Also, I made a small change to the end of the last chapter to show that Harry's replica didn't have his face to hide his identity as the Hooded Stranger. If you've already read the previous chapter, you don't have to go back.

* * *

Chapter 9

Early the next morning, Harry woke up before Minerva and immediately realized that something was wrong. They had changed positions as they slept, unlike the previous night, their bodies ending up flush together with Minerva's arm wrapped around his middle and her head on his shoulder. He had his arm wrapped under and around her back with his hand on her waist near dangerous territory. Afraid of how she would react to this, he tried to gently maneuver himself out from under her without waking her. It was slow going since he froze whenever he felt her move, but after a few minutes, he'd managed to get free. Satisfied with that, he got some clothes that was left out for him, likely by Dobby, before going to the bathroom.

While he got cleaned and ready for the day, Minerva woke up to find that Harry wasn't lying beside her. She ignored the slight twinge she felt at that knowledge, choosing instead to head to her own room and get ready as well. As she got dressed, she tried to remind herself that her feelings for Harry were purely platonic. By the time she was finished, she wasn't sure how successful she had been.

By the time everyone in the house was awake and dressed, Poppy arrived to check up on them. She quickly examined all of their injuries, reapplied the necessary salves, and gave them all pain potions. "You all seem to be healing just fine and will likely be fully healed within a few days. I want you to take it easy for today at least, though I won't put too many restrictions on you. I will check on you every morning for the next few days just to make sure you're okay."

Everyone thanked the healer for her help before she returned back to Hogwarts. Once she was gone, they went into the the kitchen. Amelia, noticing Minerva's different appearance, held the witch back for a moment.

"I understand now why you wear a glamour," Amelia remarked.

Minerva gave a short laugh, realizing she had forgotten to put it on. She'd gotten used to wearing her natural look unless she was going out. "Yes, I thought it would better for my male students if I changed my looks to be less distracting."

"I always suspected you did. You're much too powerful of a witch to not have kept your youthful looks," Amelia agreed. Her next response was a bit probing. "I am a bit surprised you are wearing it in front of Harry, though."

"As was bound to happen with him living with me, I forgot to reapply the glamour one morning, and he saw me. I figured there was no reason to hide after that," Minerva replied calmly. Having been her professor, she had known that Amelia would question that, but decided not to wear the glamour anyway. After all, they would be seeing quite a bit of each other since she knew Harry would offer Amelia and Susan the use of his home for as long as they needed it due to the destruction of their own.

Amelia wanted to ask more, curious about the relationship between the two after watching their interactions yesterday, but decided she would keep observing them instead, not wanting to pry too much. She respected them both too much for that; Minerva for being an amazing professor who was strict yet caring and Harry for what he did to train Susan and the others regardless of danger. Plus, both of them helped to save her life last night.

"Well it's good to see you relaxed. You shouldn't have to hide yourself to make others more comfortable anyway. Wizards just need to learn how to act properly around beautiful women," Amelia said as they walked into the kitchen to join the others, causing Minerva to let out a short laugh of amusement. Harry was getting ready to start making breakfast as they entered the room.

"You can cook?" Amelia asked, realizing what he was doing.

"Indeed, he can," Andromeda answered for him. "He's very good at it, too."

Harry fought his blush. "I wouldn't say I'm that good, but I can get by."

"We have mentioned his talent for understatements, right Boss?" Tonks asked, teasing Harry.

"I think you might have said something along those lines," Amelia said, playing along.

Minerva cut off Harry's protest before he could get started. "Just let it go Harry. You're a good cook and you know it. There's no shame or arrogance in admitting that."

"You should not be cooking, Master Harry," Winky interjected as she popped right in front of him along with the other three house-elves, interrupting their conversation. "You're supposed to be resting from your injuries."

"But I'm fine Winky. Besides, I promised to give you the weekend off anyway," Harry argued.

"That was before you got into a fight with Death Eaters and a werewolf," Dobby countered.

Kreacher nodded in agreement. "Us house-elves will be taking care of all of you until you're fully healed."

Harry sighed, knowing that it was a losing battle. "Ok, but I will still be giving you that weekend off."

"Deal," Dobby replied after looking at his counterparts.

"Topsy would like to help as well," Topsy spoke up. She was feeling a bit lost after the destruction of her home and needed to feel useful.

"You can help me Topsy," Winky said after glancing at Harry and Amelia for permission. Winky led her to the kitchen and they began to prepare the meal. After about twenty minutes the food was ready and the house-elves set the table for everyone, leaving to find some other work to accomplish after being thanked by the group.

Just as everyone had started to eat, they were interrupted by the arrival of a post owl carrying the Daily Prophet. It landed in front of Harry who quickly untied the newspaper from its leg before letting it fly away. His attention was grabbed by the front-page title and image and he quickly read through the article. Minerva and Tonks, who were sitting beside him also read it. All three of their expressions were grim when they'd finished.

"How bad is it?" Andromeda asked, her sentiments echoed by Amelia.

Instead of replying, Harry handed them the paper so they could read it for themselves. The two witches sat the paper in between them so they could see it at the same time. The title read, "Bones Manor Destroyed! Madam Amelia Bones, Professor McGonagall, Lawyer Tonks, Auror Tonks, and the Hooded Stranger's Bodies Found in the Destruction!" An image of the manor burned down to the ground with the ominous Dark Mark shining above it was underneath this. The rest of the article was filled with various speculations on what had occurred there last night. A few aurors who had arrived on the scene after made some statements expressing grief over their "deaths" and the plan to make those who had committed these crimes pay. There were page numbers mentioned that had short biographies about Amelia and the others. It even mentioned the death of Fenrir Greyback, stating that his head was found separated from the rest of his body.

"I want you to know that you and Susan can stay here for as long as you like. In fact, all of you can. I want you all to have somewhere safe to be since this war is only going to get worse," Harry declared firmly after they had finished reading.

"Thank you, Harry. Now I don't have to worry about finding a place for the two of us to live," Amelia replied, moved by his compassion for someone he barely knew.

"I'll be staying too," Tonks said.

"Me as well," Andromeda said. "We'll need to spend quite a bit time together to plan for and fight this war anyway. It makes sense for us to live in the same place and there's plenty of room here for us to have our own space."

"Alright, how do we want to handle this?" Tonks asked seriously.

"First, we need to get Susan from the Abbot's house so she can know the truth," Harry said.

"Yes, though I don't think any of us should go. It's best if only a few know the truth until we are sure who we can trust," Amelia noted.

"Who do we send to go get her then?" Andromeda asked.

"It has to be someone we know we can trust," Minerva pointed out.

They all sat in thought for a few minutes before Tonks spoke up. "What about Hestia? We know she doesn't trust Dumbledore anymore and she's a good and loyal auror. I trust her with my life."

"I agree with Tonks," Amelia remarked. "Hestia is an excellent auror and I can fully say that I would trust her with Susan's life. Also, her and Susan know each other and get along very well."

"Alright, if you two trust her then so do I," Harry decided. Andromeda and Minerva voiced their agreement as well, both having prior interactions with Hestia that convinced them she could be trusted.

"I can go see her right now if you like," Tonks offered.

"Yes," Amelia said. "Once Susan is here and safe, we can figure out everything else."

That decided, Harry gave Tonks a slip of paper on which he wrote the Fidelius secret before she flooed over to Hestia's place.

\- H.M. –

Tonks stumbled out of the floo as she arrived, just managing to stop herself from falling on the ground. Hestia, who had been sitting on the sofa crying, jumped up from her seat and dropped her copy of the Daily Prophet that she'd been reading. Her wand was drawn and pointed at Tonks who put her hands up in the air non-threateningly.

"Who are you?" Hestia asked dangerously.

"I'm your friend and fellow auror Tonks," Tonks replied calmly.

"My friend is supposed to be dead along with her mother, Madam Bones, and Professor McGonagall," Hestia replied.

"None of us died last night. We were attacked by Voldemort and his Death Eaters and managed to escape by faking our deaths. It was the only way we'd have enough time to find a way out of there," Tonks explained.

"Prove it," Hestia demanded, still skeptical.

"At the last auror meeting, I asked you how you felt about Dumbledore and you told me that the man can't be trusted, and you planned on quitting as well as informing Madam Bones of your involvement in the group," Tonks replied.

Hestia lowered her wand down to the floor. "It's really you Dora?" she asked for confirmation.

Tonks nodded in reply. "Yes, I'm sorry we gave you a scare, but I'm really still alive, just a bit banged up. We all are."

"Thank Merlin," Hestia exclaimed pulling the Metamorph into a short but tight hug. "What happened last night?"

"We'll all explain it more later, but right now we need you to get Susan from the Abbot's house and bring her back to the old Order headquarters," Tonks requested.

"Of course. The poor girl is probably devastated right now," Hestia commented. "Would I be correct in assuming that Harry got custody of that place?"

"You would. He's also the secret keeper. He wrote down the secret on this piece of parchment for you and Susan," Tonks confirmed as she handed it to Hestia.

"Alright, I'll be over with Susan shortly then," Hestia said. "Wait, am I to tell the Abbots that Boss is alive or not?"

Tonks thought about it for a second before shaking her head. "As harsh as it sounds, it's better that they don't know for now until we decide how we're going to handle this situation."

"Understood," Hestia replied before going to grab a few things as Tonks left through the floo. Something told her she might not be coming home tonight.

With that done, she flooed over, appearing in the Abbot's sitting room a few seconds later. Mrs. Abbot walked in a moment later, having heard her arrival. "Auror Jones, are you here to see Susan?"

"Yes ma'am. I have orders to take her to a safe house," Hestia confirmed, her tone professional.

"She's upstairs in her room. The poor girl is quite upset by her aunt's death," Mrs. Abbot said. She had a few tear stains on her face, showing her sorrow as well.

"I can imagine so. We all are very upset by the news," Hestia agreed before heading up to Susan's room. When she got there, the door was closed. She knocked on it and said, "Hey Susan, it's me Hestia. Can I come in?"

Instead of a verbal response, the door was opened a moment later, showing a distraught Susan. Her eyes were red, her nose runny, and tears continued to fall down her face. The young witch threw herself into the auror's arms as she started sobbing. Hestia quickly closed the door and maneuvered them until they were both sitting on the bed before holding the girl tightly as she tried to soothe her.

"Susan it's alright. Your aunt is alive. Amelia is alive and safe, I promise you," Hestia declared.

"Really?" Susan asked when she realized what Hestia was saying. Her voice was full of hope.

"Yes. I'm here to take you to her."

"What happened last night?"

"I don't know yet, but Dora came and asked me to come get you."

"Are they all alive then?"

"Yes, but we can't tell anyone that just yet. Now let's get your stuff so we can go there."

The two of them quickly packed up everything Susan had brought with her. Once that was finished, they went downstairs back to the room with the fireplace. Susan said goodbye to the Abbot family with Hannah giving her a tight hug. Susan promised to write to them soon before she and Hestia flooed away.

\- H.M. –

Back at Black manor, the others were finishing off their breakfast when Hedwig appeared unexpectedly, swooping down to land in front of Harry as she began to scrutinize him. When she noticed the bandage covering up the scar on his face, she hooted angrily at Harry, demanding an explanation.

"I got into bit of trouble last night, but I'm fine, honestly. We all are," Harry protested.

Hedwig looked at him skeptically, pointing a wing at his scar.

"It's just a scratch."

Hedwig's expression didn't waver.

"Ok so maybe it was caused by a werewolf, but it's not like I've been turned or anything."

Hedwig barked in exasperation.

"It's not like I went looking for trouble, it found me. Riddle and his Death Eaters showed up unexpectedly. At least I wasn't alone."

Tonks, used to Harry's conversations with Hedwig, decided to tease him a bit. "He was alone when he fought Greyback, but seeing as the werewolf lost his head, it seems our boy was able to handle it."

"Not helping Dora," Harry bit out. She only winked at him.

Hedwig gave him a piercing glare.

"I know you worry about me girl, but I'm okay. Unfortunately, there's a war going on and I'm part of it no matter how much I don't want to be. I promise I'll try to be more careful though, alright?"

Hedwig stared at him for a few more seconds before Minerva decided to help him out. "He really isn't at fault this time, nor did he do commit any unnecessary self-sacrificing act. He even managed to only suffer minor wounds."

Hedwig turned to look at Minerva for a moment before hopping onto Harry's shoulder to be petted as she rubbed her head against his cheek affectionately. Harry obligingly stroked her feathers.

"Is he always this way with his owl?" Amelia asked Tonks quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment.

"Pretty much. During his summers since he started school, she was the only one he could talk to at those people's house. They formed a very strong bond because of that. Plus, Hedwig is very unique. He told me that the owner of the shop where he got her from said that others before him who tried to buy her ended up returning her because she was always uncooperative with them," Tonks explained.

"Harry has a habit of doing the unexpected and forming unique bonds with others. You'll get used to it soon enough," Andromeda remarked, having overheard the two of them.

They all sat quietly and watched him and his owl until they heard the roar of the fireplace signaling that Hestia and Susan had arrived, causing them to get up from the table to greet them. The moment Susan saw Amelia, she ran into her arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed in relief. Amelia held her niece just as tightly, the ramifications of last night fully hitting her which caused tears to fall from her eyes as well. The rest of them decided to go back into the dining room to give the two some privacy.

"I'm glad to see you all are alive," Hestia spoke as they sat down at the table. Everyone could hear the emotion in her voice.

"I'm sorry we worried you, Hestia" Andromeda replied.

"Yeah Hes, we really are sorry about that, but we had no other choice," Tonks added.

"If we hadn't, we likely would have died," Minerva noted.

"I understand," Hestia said.

"If it makes you feel any better, you are the first person we decided to tell," Harry said, in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Thanks Harry," Hestia replied before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Anyway, I really approve of what you've done with the place."

"You'll have to compliment my house-elves seeing as they did all of the cleaning and redecorating," Harry replied.

"You let your house-elves decorate?" Hestia asked, having never heard of anyone who'd done that.

Harry shrugged, not seeing it as a big deal. "Yeah. I figured they'd be better at it then me."

Hestia shook her head at him. "Well they did a bloody good job of it." She looked around the room one more time before becoming serious. "So, is this where you've been all this time?"

"It's where I started out, yes," Harry confirmed. "I'm sorry for causing you and the Order to worry about me. My head was in a bad place at the time."

Hestia shrugged. "It's alright. As long as you learned your lesson… Hooded Stranger."

Harry looked at her in shock and didn't even try and deny it. "How did you figure it out?"

"Lucky guess," Hestia replied with a smirk. "I'd scold you about that, but I'm sure Minerva here's already taken care of that."

"Hestia here's an excellent observer. She tends to pick up things that even the most experienced aurors miss," Tonks explained.

Harry looked at Hestia warily, wondering what else she'd noticed about him. Before he could get too deep in thought, Amelia and Susan joined them at the table.

"Are you alright Susan?" Harry asked in concern.

"I am now," she replied. "Thank you all for helping my aunt get out."

"We all helped each other, but you're welcome," Harry stated, speaking for all of them.

"What happened last night? And how did you all come to be together?" Hestia asked, unable to remain patient any longer.

Harry looked around at the others who knew the story before turning back to face her. "Well, that's a seriously long story and there's some parts that I'm not quite ready to share."

"Just tell me and Susan what you are comfortable with," Hestia urged gently. She was well aware of his trust issues and aversion to talking about himself and had no intention of pushing him too hard.

"Okay," Harry said before beginning. With the others help, he told Hestia and Susan about everything that had happened since the Battle at the DOM except for the horcruxes. He recited the prophecy, not seeing any reason to hide it, since it didn't really make any difference. Voldemort wasn't going to stop trying to kill him now, especially after he'd managed to make him look weak more than once. When they got to the events of last night, Harry hesitated to describe his fight with Greyback, still a bit ashamed of his actions. Hestia reassured him that he did what was necessary and neither she nor Susan looked at him any differently. By the time they were finished, the two of them were a bit overwhelmed by everything he'd gone through.

"Wow, I understand why you ran away then," Hestia remarked, shaking her head in disgust. "I knew he couldn't be trusted, but now I know it's not due to old age. It's because he's a manipulative, arrogant bastard."

"I can't believe he thought that right after you lost your godfather was a good time to tell you about the prophecy," Susan remarked angrily. She'd never been one to blindly believe anyone due to growing up with Amelia, but she didn't know Dumbledore was capable of this level of cruelty.

The others gave them time to come to terms with everything and a few moments later Hestia spoke up.

"I'm in," she declared.

"Me too," Susan added.

"I'd try to stop you, but you're too much like me for that to go over well," Amelia said to Susan. "Besides this war won't leave children unscathed anyway. I'll just have to make sure you're properly trained for whatever you might face."

"Thanks Auntie. I promise I'll work as hard as possible," Susan replied.

"Alright then," Harry stated, going into business mode. "Well I'm planning on meeting with my friends tomorrow to gauge their reactions."

"I'd like to come as well," Susan requested.

"Sure. You're my friend as well so you're more than welcome," Harry answered.

"I should probably invite Charlie and Fleur as well since I planned on meeting with them soon anyway. That way we can kill two birds with one stone," Tonks remarked.

"That's a good idea," Harry said in agreeance.

Minerva spoke up next. "We need to start thinking about training as well. If you're going to bring your friends into the fray, they need to be able to protect themselves as well as the information they'll be learning, physically, magically, and mentally."

"You'll need a secure place to train them," Amelia pointed out.

Andromeda spoke after a thought came to her. "A few months ago, I stumbled upon this store owner that had invented a way to link trunks to each other where they would all open up to the same room with doorways leading to their separate trunks. Using them would make it possible to meet at whatever time is convenient without ever having to leave their homes. I could even add charms on them to warn when someone is within proximity of the trunk so they could know when they're in danger of getting caught."

"We should add a ward to block the Trace so they can train in secret on their own as well," Amelia added. When everyone looked at her in shock, she shook her head at them. "We're in a war and they need as much time to train as they can get. If that means allowing them to hide from the Trace, then so be it."

"That works," Harry said after they all got over their shock. "We could meet early in the morning or late in the evening or both to lower the chances of them getting caught."

"All of us adults, including Harry, can help with the training," Amelia said. "Some of us could probably use the practice as well to get back in shape and get our endurance back up." Harry quietly joked that he was technically an adult to Minerva, causing her to lightly slap his arm in amusement.

"We'll have to go out to get to the store and get the trunks, which brings us to our next issue. How are we going to handle the world thinking you four are dead?" Hestia asked pointedly.

"Well, whenever we decide to do it, we need to make sure to get the true story out there so it will reflect badly on Riddle," Andromeda noted.

"We should probably keep Harry's involvement a secret. It's best that no one knows he's the Hooded Stranger for now so we can keep the element of surprise," Minerva advised.

"Minerva's right. We need to delay Riddle and the rest of Britain from finding out about my alter ego for as long as possible. In fact, we might even want to say that the Hooded Stranger died, that way we can use it as an advantage the next time I use that identity."

"Very sneaky Harry. You probably would have done well in Slytherin," Andromeda remarked, impressed by his cunningness.

"Well the sorting hat did say I would do good in that house so that makes sense," Harry replied.

"Really?" Susan asked. Only Tonks, Andromeda, and Minerva knew about this, so it was a surprise to everyone else.

"Yeah. I would have let it, but I'd already met Malfoy and didn't think it would be a good idea if we had to stay in the same dorm for seven years. After meeting Snape, I'm even more glad I made that choice." Harry explained.

Minerva shook her head in agreement. "Unfortunately, that man has yet to grow up and get over his grudge with James. It would not have been good for either of you to have anymore interaction than you already do."

"You certainly would have shaken up the country even more if you had," Tonks noted.

After everyone laughed at the thought, Amelia brought their attention back on the issue. "As much as I'd like to continue to lull Riddle into a sense of false security, I don't think we should wait too long to reveal ourselves. If not, Fudge might try and give my job to someone either unqualified or worse, one of Riddle's agents."

"Dumbledore might as well. He doesn't have the best track record with hiring people lately," Minerva added.

"Good point," Harry concurred. "We don't need him screwing up the Ministry and the war efforts any more than he already has."

"I can get in touch with someone at the Daily Prophet who can be trusted to write the story the way we want it to be written and get us a press conference as soon as possible," Hestia proposed. "I'll also stop by that shop you mentioned as long as you tell me exactly what I need to get."

"Thank you, Hestia," Andromeda said.

"Okay, there's one more thing we need to discuss," Harry stated. "Who gave Riddle knowledge about your ward defenses?"

"It has to be someone who's been to the manor before, and more than a few times," Amelia noted.

"They have to have extensive knowledge of wards and how to dismantle them," Hestia remarked.

"It's got to be someone who has a big grudge against you since they knew Riddle had every intention of killing you," Tonks pointed out.

"Can you think of anyone that might be angry enough at you to want to hurt you?" Andromeda asked.

Amelia sat back in thought, gasping a few moments later when she came to a realization.

"You know who it is, don't you?" Minerva asked gently, seeing the despair on the woman's face.

"Yes, though I can't believe she hates me enough to want me dead," Amelia replied.

"Who are you talking about?" Tonks asked.

"Would I be correct in assuming you're referring to Auror Ivy Henderson?" Hestia guessed.

"You would," Amelia confirmed. "She and I… we used to be very good friends. Both of us were at the top of our auror class when we graduated, and we rose through the ranks very quickly. Then, when I was given the position of Head of the DMLE over her, she changed. Ivy became jealous and felt she was more qualified than me. She believed I didn't deserve the job and that I somehow cheated my way to it. Since then, we only talk to each other when necessary. I've tried to reach out to her a few times, but she just continuously pushed me away."

"How are you going to handle this?" Harry asked.

Amelia thought on it for a moment. "I think it's best I don't do anything drastic immediately. For now, I'll keep an eye on her and try to prevent her from learning any crucial information too early. Hestia and Tonks, I'll need your help with this as well as a few more aurors that can be fully trusted."

"Of course," Hestia assented.

"You got it Boss," Tonks responded.

"I also will be putting the two of you on protection detail for Harry," Amelia continued. "I am very aware of your ability to take care of yourself Harry, but this will give them a logical excuse for being out of the office often."

"Don't worry, I'm not the macho type that truly believes he doesn't need any help," Harry replied.

"Oh really?" Minerva asked with an arched brow.

"Okay well at least I'm not when I'm in my right mind," Harry quickly amended. Minerva, along with Tonks, Andromeda, and surprisingly Susan gave him deadpanned stares. "Really, I'm not that bad."

"Oh, so your just not usually in your right mind then," Tonks countered sarcastically.

Harry put his head down in embarrassment. "Am I really that bad?"

Minerva decided to take pity on him. "No, you aren't. You're nowhere near arrogant enough to believe that you're somehow invincible and require no help. We just want you to stop being so willing to sacrifice yourself. Your life is worth living, worth saving,"

"I'll… I'll try to keep that in mind," Harry replied sincerely.

"Well," Amelia said after a moment of silence. "I think that's enough planning for the moment. We need to start figuring out training plans for the kids."

"Harry, why don't you give Susan a tour of the house," Andromeda suggested, seeing that he needed a break.

"Um sure. Come on Susan," Harry said, gratefulness in his tone. The two of them left the adults to it. Hestia also exited the kitchen so she could make her trips out for the trunks and to meet her friend in the Daily Prophet.

Harry and Susan had become good friends over the past year so there was no awkwardness between them as he showed her around. They went to almost every room in the house, with Harry giving a running commentary of how things looked before the remodel. After giving her a tour, the two students ended up in the library to relax for a while.

"Nice place you got here," Susan remarked as they sat down on one of the sofas.

"You should have seen it before my house-elves fixed it up," Harry replied. "It felt like the epitome of a pureblood supremacist's home that's been allowed to fester for a while – dark and oppressive."

"I can imagine."

"I'm sorry about your home Susan. If I could have saved it, I would have."

Susan shook her head at him. "Only you would apologize for something you played no part in causing. Harry… you saved my aunt, that's what's important. Plus, you even thought of getting as much of our stuff out as possible. You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I owe you a debt of gratitude I don't think I'll ever be able to repay."

"No repayment needed. You're my friend and I protect my friends… but you're welcome."

Susan glanced up at his head then, curious about his injury. "How is your eye?"

Harry ran his hand across the bandage. "My eye didn't really get hit, but the injury hurts a bit."

"Are you…" Her tone was wary. She wouldn't really look at him differently if he was but was well aware of the stereotypes that werewolves faced. If he was, she would support him completely, but she hoped that he wasn't burdened with it, knowing he already had enough to deal with.

"No, thank goodness. Not that I have anything against werewolves, but I think I have enough on my plate already. Turning into a furry animal on the night of the full moon is a bit much right now." Harry smirked mischievously. "Plus, I'm becoming an animagus during the next full moon and that would put a damper on my plans."

"Yes, I could see how it would do that," Susan said as she laughed at him.

"Want to see it? Poppy cleaned it up, so it doesn't look so bad now."

"Sure." Susan was curious, especially since she wanted to be a healer one day.

Harry unwrapped the bandage to reveal a centimeter-thick scar that ran diagonally from above the right side of his left eyebrow to his hair line, just barely missing his eye.

"That looks painful."

"It is, but at least my eye is okay and I'm alive."

"True. Are you gonna hide it? I know how much you don't like your other scar."

Harry thought about for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think so. You're right about me hating my other scar since it's a reminder of my parent's death, but this one isn't. I earned this one on my own."

"You did. I still can't believe you fought and beat Greyback. He's one of the most dangerous werewolves ever… well at least he was."

"I can't either, but I'm glad I did. He's the one who turned Professor Lupin when he was a kid."

They lapsed into silence for a moment until Susan spoke up again. There was a mock-innocent tone in her voice that made Harry a bit wary. "So, did you know that Professor McGonagall wore a glamour?"

"Yeah, though I didn't see her with it off until a few days ago."

"Mhm. The two of you seem pretty close."

"What makes you think that?"

"Only the fact that you called her Minerva."

"Umm she's been training me in secret since our fourth year after I reluctantly became a champion. We're friends, that's all."

"If you say so."

Susan dropped the subject for now but planned on watching the two of them to see just how close they were. They changed the conversation to lighter topics after that, talking about the good things that's happened to them this summer so far.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing for the most part. Hestia was able to secure a press conference for tomorrow morning at ten after promising her friend an exclusive interview. Then she was able to get all of the trunks made, which would be ready tomorrow morning as well. Tonks wrote letters to Charlie and Fleur, inviting them to the meeting that would take place tomorrow afternoon. She got a reply from them after dinner saying they would be there so Minerva made portkeys for them as well. Harry also wrote to Remus, asking the man several questions about his lack of involvement and interaction with him over the years. He didn't know what answers he would receive but decided to give the man a chance to explain himself for Sirius's sake. After that, they just spent time talking, with those who were less familiar with each other getting to know one another.

When night time came around, Harry stopped Hestia before she returned home to say something that he wanted everyone to hear. "Umm, I should have said told the others this earlier, but I want you to know that you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like. You don't have to, but the offer's out there if you want it."

"I think I might take you up on that offer," Hestia said. "It'll save me a bunch on rent."

With that settled, Kreacher showed the new guests up to their rooms. Harry and Minerva, whose rooms were on the family floor instead of the guest floor, stopped in the middle of the hallway between their rooms. They looked at each other unsurely before Minerva broke the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry if our words upset you earlier."

"No, it's okay. I do need to remember that my life is important and that I have many people who care about me too."

"It's not completely your fault, though. You were thrown into a world where too many expect the impossible from you after spending years with people who treated you horribly. The fact that you value your life at all is a testament to your character."

"Thanks. I promise I'll keep working on it though. I don't want to cause you or anyone else any more worry than necessary." After a moment of hesitation Harry spoke again. "Umm… good night then."

"You can ask me if you want. It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

"I think I'll be okay tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"I have to try."

Minerva sighed. "We still haven't found a way to make your nightmares less intense Harry. How about we continue for now and ask Samena about it when she comes? She'll likely know a way to help you sleep better."

"I… okay."

Minerva went to her room to get ready for bed, entering Harry's room about twenty minutes later. As had become routine, they laid down in their usual position with about a foot of space between them. Soon after they were asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Fleur and Bill are dating but their relationship isn't as developed as it was in canon.

Chapter 10

In the morning, Harry woke up first again, his arms wrapped securely around Minerva as they lay in the same position as the previous morning. Instinctively, he pulled her closer, buried his nose further in her hair to breathe her in, and pressed a gentle kiss to her head. She released a small sigh of contentment and unconsciously moved closer to him, causing him to freeze in horror as his actions and their position fully registered. _Bloody hell she's gonna kill me_. His thoughts were in a panic as he imagined several ways this could go wrong. When she showed no signs of waking up, Harry remained frozen for a minute longer to calm his rapidly beating heart. Then, like the previous morning, he slowly maneuvered his way out from under her, getting free a few minutes later.

Once he was in the safety of his shower, Harry delved into his mindscape as he tried to figure out what possessed him to do something so dangerous. After a few moments, he started to realize that his thought process was slightly different. For one, in his mind he had unconsciously started referring to Minerva as "his Mina," showing a possessive streak he'd never felt before. As he continued to examine himself, he realized that his thoughts had been colored by a slightly more, for lack of a better word, wolfish characteristic. He was referring to everyone that was part of the unofficial group as his pack and he felt obligated to protect them. The idea of being a leader didn't scare him as much as it used to. He also noticed that his hearing and sense of smell seemed a bit sharper. Once he was finished with his examination, he decided to talk to Poppy about it in private before focusing on getting cleaned up. As he washed, he tried to ignore the fact that his feelings for Minerva felt stronger than before as well.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Minerva, who had been awake for the whole incident, was staring at the bathroom door lost in her own thoughts. She had pretended to be asleep to avoid making things anymore awkward but now she was alone to deal with how it had affected her. If she was honest with herself, Harry's actions had made her strongly feel emotions that had been locked away for a long time – comfort, safety, content, and another she was unwilling to name. Emotions she never thought another could ever arouse in her. There was only one other person who's embrace made her feel that way, a realization that wasn't comforting at all due to the nature of that relationship. Harry was her student and she shouldn't feel like this around him and yet she did. He broke through all of her defenses without even trying, leaving her lost in how to handle this situation. While she knew that the best thing to do would be to try and create some distance between them, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. She wanted to be there to help and guide him as much as she could. Furthermore, Harry would notice the distance and worry that he'd done something wrong. _Hopefully Samena will know how to keep his nightmares at bay so at least this can stop. _Taking a deep breath in frustration, she got up to get ready in her own room.

About an hour later, Poppy arrived to check on those with injuries. When she had finished, Harry took her to the side to talk about the symptoms he'd noticed.

"I think I'm having some side effects from the werewolf injury," Harry began before he explained what he'd been feeling. He didn't tell her about his feelings concerning Minerva specifically, but told everything else.

"I thought this might happen. There are some documented cases of behavioral and thought process changes or enhanced senses with injuries sustained from werewolves on nights other than the full moon. You might also experience a change in your diet, such as liking your meat a little rare. This is nothing to be too alarmed about, but I want you to continue to pay close attention to yourself and let me know of any more changes you notice. You should also keep your Occlumency shields on alert until you've fully adjusted to these changes." Poppy explained reassuringly.

"Ok… um there is one other thing I wanted to ask you," Harry inquired nervously.

"Go ahead and ask Harry," Poppy said after he was silent for several seconds.

"I was wondering if romantic feelings being intensified is a possible side effect?" he said cautiously, trying not to give anything away.

Poppy gave him a knowing smile. "Yes, that is possible. If that happens to you, I suggest you tell the person whom those feelings are directed towards how you feel because they won't go away or die down. They'll likely become harder to ignore."

"Right." Harry didn't think that was a good idea, but knew Poppy was telling him the truth. He just didn't know how to deal with it.

\- H.M. –

After everyone had breakfast together, Amelia, Andromeda, Minerva, and Tonks all left through the floo to go to their press conference. They met up with Hestia's friend and contact in the Daily Prophet, whose name was David Fletcher, in his office. Once they finished greeting each other, he brought them to a secure area near the press conference stage that was set up in the main atrium of the ministry. There, they were protected from any eavesdroppers and could speak freely before it started. Already there were several reporters standing by the stage and they could be heard talking to each other trying to figure out what they would learn.

David turned to face them once he finished warding off their area. "Well, I have to say I was quite surprised when Hestia contacted me about your survival."

"We'll give you more of the full story during the interview, but yes, we managed to escape," Amelia confirmed.

"Would I be correct in assuming that you somehow were able to fake your death?" David probed.

"We did though we'll tell you more about that later," Minerva confirmed.

"Well, however you did it, I'm glad you did. I was upset to know that the world had lost four witches who are all amazing in their own right. We'll need people like you around if we have any hope of winning this war," David declared strongly.

"Thank you, David, for your compliments and for agreeing to set this up for us," Andromeda replied.

"No problem. Hestia came to me to do this for you. It'll definitely be a big blow to the snake-faced monster and I'm glad to be able to take part in it. It will also be broadcasted on the Wizarding Wireless Network, so the news will spread quickly," David said. "How do you plan on handling this press conference?"

"We have prepared some statements to read. After discussing it, we decided that I should do the talking. Anything else will be said during our interview with you," Amelia answered.

"And what about the rumors of the Hooded Stranger?" David asked.

"That person was there," Tonks confirmed. "However, to protect their identity, we will tell them that they died during the attack to save our lives."

David nodded in understanding. "Understood, and I won't probe for anything you're unwilling to tell me. I can appreciate the need to keep their identity secret for now." He checked his watch. "Well it's just about time to start. I'll signal when it's time for you to come up."

He walked toward the stage, leaving them standing there to wait.

"How shocked do you think they will be when they see us?" Tonks asked to break the silence.

"Quite a bit, I'm sure," Minerva remarked. "Most people who Riddle kills stay dead. This will be a big blow to his strength."

"We should keep an eye out on everyone's reactions just in case. If anyone looks guilty or angry, we'll know that they need to be watched closely," Amelia suggested.

"Good idea," Andromeda agreed.

Before they could say anything else, the conference started. David quickly introduced himself and made a brief opening statement. Once he was done, he signaled for them to join him on the stage. The moment they all stepped foot on it, the crowd of reporters and spectators gasped in shock. There were cries of disbelief and shock, with some happiness and anger sprinkled in. Fudge, who was standing on the stage as well, almost jumped out of his skin as he openly gawked at the four supposedly dead witches. He tried to splutter out a response, but nothing intelligible came out of his mouth.

The four women paid no attention to the minister, instead taking note of those in the crowd who were angered. Amelia spotted Ivy in the crowd glaring spitefully at her and sent her former friend a look of indifference in return, though it did hurt a bit. Once they got to the middle of the stage, they stood in silence, waiting for everyone to quiet down. When the crowd noticed the stern looks on their faces they eventually stopped talking, eager to hear what the four women had to tell them.

Amelia scanned the crowd once more before beginning to speak. "Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I am aware that I and the three witches beside me are believed to be dead, but that is a false narrative. We were attacked at my home on Saturday night when the four of us were having dinner. There were several Death Eaters there, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, as well as Voldemort himself. During the battle, the person known as the Hooded Stranger appeared to help us. We all fought them off for as long as we could, until Voldemort joined the battle. He tried to offer us our lives in return for joining his side, an offer that we refused vehemently, before beginning to duel us on his own. Then, we, along with the Hooded Stranger, devised a plan that allowed us to escape, but the Hooded Stranger stayed behind so that we could get away, sacrificing their life in the process. Now, we will take no questions at the moment, but we are doing an interview to share more details about the attack with the public."

At that, the four of them turned to leave, ignoring the questions being flung at them. They managed to make it to the back of the stage before being stopped by Fudge and his auror guards.

"I am glad to see the four of you alive and safe. I was quite upset when I learned about your deaths," Fudge said.

"Thank you, Minister," the four of them replied cordially.

"You're welcome. I would like to sit down with all of you to discuss the events of that horrible night. You can come to my office right now since I have an hour of free time at the moment."

"Thank you for the offer Minister, but no thanks. We will be answering more questions during our interview for everyone to see," Amelia replied firmly.

"No, I insist that we talk before your interview. I'm sure you can understand why as the Minster of Magic, I need to know what exactly happened as well as the identity of the Hooded Stranger," Fudge persisted.

"Insist all you like Minister, but we will not be meeting with you about this, nor will reveal the identity of the Hooded Stranger for safety reasons," Minerva countered, losing patience with the incompetent man.

"Now see here! As the Minister of Magic, I demand that you answer my questions this instant!" Fudge blustered.

"We do not have to answer your demands Minister, and you can't bully us into doing so," Amelia challenged, staring the man down. "This is considered a private matter therefore you do not have the authority to demand anything. Now, we have things to attend to at this moment, so I wish you a good day." She and the others walked away to go to their interview with David, leaving behind an irate Fudge who was in the midst of a temper tantrum.

Back at Black manor, Harry, Hestia, and Susan spent their time waiting for the others in the training room. Hestia wanted to see where they were at physically and magically while also taking this as an opportunity to get to know Harry better. By the time the others had arrived, Hestia had determined that Harry was truly an extremely talented wizard and Susan had great potential that just needed to be fully realized. She also gained more insight into his character, learning that he excelled at thinking on his feet and was highly unpredictable in battle, making him a formidable opponent. She wasn't sure if she would win in a real-life duel against him. He was also kind, humble, and honest with a strong sense of duty.

Harry also learned more about Hestia. By the time they'd finished, he realized that she was a good person to have as a friend. She had a good sense of humor and a good and loyal heart. While she was very observant, she wasn't nosy and didn't try to butt into others business. In fact, she kept most of her observations to herself unless it was necessary to reveal them, something he appreciated.

When the others got back, they quickly informed them about how the press conference and interview went before Harry, Minerva, and Susan had to leave for the meeting with Harry's friends. Amelia, Tonks, and Hestia left to go in to work and talk to the aurors while Andromeda stayed at the manor to write to her clients and inform them, she was still alive while also working on some of her currently pending cases.

\- H.M. –

They arrived at Minerva's home to see that everything had already been set up for the meeting. The table had been enlarged with chairs added to fit everyone and there was a veritable feast of food and drinks for them to enjoy as they talked. As Susan took the time to explore some of Minerva's home with her permission, Harry and Minerva sat down at the table, with Minerva insisting that he sit at the head since he was leading the meeting, while she sat to his right.

"So, have you decided how much you're going to tell them?" Minerva asked Harry.

"I'll give them as much information as we gave Susan and Hestia."

"You're waiting until they can protect that information before you tell them, or you don't want them to know?" She thought she knew the answer but wanted verification.

"The first one. They're my friends and I should be able to trust them with it. And, I don't want to fight this war like Dumbledore by holding key information from our allies and friends."

"I doubt you will ever be anything like him, but I understand what you're saying. We'll have to make sure that Occlumency is one of the main focuses in the beginning of their training."

"What about you? Are you going to show them the real Minerva or wear your glamour?"

Minerva thought on it before answering. "I think if we're all going to be spending so much time together, then I might as well not wear it. Besides, I've gotten used to being myself around others and I'm not keen on hiding again. At least for the summer."

"Okay… do you want me to call you Minerva or Professor McGonagall around them?"

"You might as well call me Minerva. No sense in hiding that either."

"Right."

Susan joined them after that and sat down beside Minerva, complimenting her house. A few moments later, the others attending the meeting arrived. Harry got up to meet them in living room where the portkey dropped them off, greeting them each individually. Hermione gave him a bone-crushing hug of relief, while Ginny and Luna gave him less crushing hugs. Ron and the other wizards shook his hand and patted him on the back, glad to see him still alive and in one piece. Fleur gave him a tight hug and kissed him lightly on both cheeks, causing Ginny to look at them with a bit of anger, though he didn't notice it. He was too busy trying to fight down his own blush, still unaccustomed to the French way of greeting.

"Harry, what happened to your face?" Hermione asked in alarm once the greetings were over.

"Yeah mate, you look like you been in a fight," Ron added.

"I'll tell you about it in a moment. First, you should know that this is Minerva's home and that she's here. Susan is here as well. I'm sure you heard it on the WWN, but nobody on our side died on Saturday night, though Susan and Amelia lost their home. Again, I'll explain all of that in a moment," Harry said. He led them into the kitchen and sat back down into his seat, gesturing for them to sit down. The moment they saw Minerva without her glamour on, all of the wizards, went speechless. Ginny was also shocked, though not as badly as the males. Minerva barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes at them.

"I'm still the same professor who's taught all of you, just a bit younger looking," she declared sternly, making them snap out of their stupor.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," Ron, Neville, and Ginny chorused obediently.

"It iz good to see you again Professor McGonagall," Fleur spoke politely.

"You as well, Ms. Delacour," Minerva replied, nodding her head at the veela.

"Professor, I didn't know you were so good at transforming," Fred said.

"Yeah, first you can turn into a cat and now you're a…" George was cut off by Minerva.

"I'd advise you not to finish that sentence," she warned, glaring at both of them. Harry tried to stifle his laughter. The glare she turned on him showed that he wasn't successful. Due to their friendship, it wasn't quite as effective when used on him, but he wisely remained quiet.

"Yes Professor," the twins replied, knowing it was in their best interests not to cross her.

"Honestly, you all should have figured out that Professor McGonagall wears a glamour. She's one of the strongest witches in the country. Having a lot of magical power can slow down aging," Hermione lectured before turning to address Minerva. "Hello Professor McGonagall. Thank you for inviting us into your home."

"You're welcome Ms. Granger," Minerva said.

"I see why you wore one," Charlie remarked. "It's good to see you Professor."

"Call me Minerva. I haven't been your professor for many years," Minerva replied. "It's good to see you as well."

"Hey how come we can't call you that?" Fred began.

"We aren't your students either," George finished.

"You two need some professional boundaries to help me keep you in line," Minerva countered, though she wore a small amused smile as she said it.

"It's nice to see you outside of your shell, Professor," Luna remarked. "Though I think the male students' heads will be filled with even more nargles than usual."

"Thank you, Miss Lovegood and I'm sure they will. It's good to see you around your friends," Minerva replied gently. She had a soft spot for the Ravenclaw student, knowing that she was bullied for being different. She and Professor Flitwick tried to crack down on it, but Dumbledore's policies undermined their efforts.

"Yes, having friends is fun," Luna agreed.

They all greeted Susan as well before taking their seats at the table. Hermione, who was sitting on Harry's left spoke up before he could.

"I'm sorry about your home, Susan, though I am glad that your aunt and the others made it out alive," she said in empathy.

Before anyone else could offer their condolences as well, Susan held up her hand. "I am as well. A house can be rebuilt, but my aunt can't." The others nodded in understanding.

"What happened there?" Neville asked.

"We'll be explaining all of that in a moment," Harry stated before they could ask their questions. "Before we get to that, there's quite a bit I need to tell you. I ask that you hold all questions until the end." When they nodded in assent, Harry began his story. He started off with what happened in Dumbledore's office after the battle in the DOM, recounting the row he had with the headmaster. As he recited the prophecy for them, Minerva realized that she hadn't really spoken to Harry about how he was dealing with Sirius's death. She resolved to talk to him about it after this meeting was over.

Next, he described his state of mind during the rest of the time until school ended. He briefly told them about his nightmares, how they made him feel, and how he reacted to them. He expressed his fervent desire to keep everyone he cared about safe and how that caused him to push them all away. Then he explained how he was able to sneak off the train and go to Gringotts, with Dobby and Winky's help, and what he learned and received there. He told them where he had stayed for the first week of the summer and what he did, including spying on Voldemort, training, and his activities as the Hooded Stranger.

He didn't tell them about the horcruxes but explained that he'd learned about the true nature of his connection with Voldemort and how it upset him. He told them about the second raid and how he ended up with Minerva, with her describing the injuries he had sustained. They both talked about what they had been doing since then and the attack on Bones manor. Harry, seeing the alarm on their faces at his description of his fight with Greyback, quickly assured them that he hadn't been turned and that the injury hadn't affected his eye but would leave a scar.

Harry took a moment to let it all sink in before continuing. "Now, for why you are here. Besides telling you the truth, we are fighting a war and need all the help we can get. Dumbledore can't be trusted to lead us. He has his own agenda that has nothing to do with good of our country as a whole. He is too willing to sacrifice innocent life to accomplish that agenda and is arrogant enough to believe that he is the only one who knows how to win this war. Plus, he hides information from people who need to know it, getting them hurt or killed because of it. I can't follow someone like that."

Minerva spoke up next. "Neither can I. I have tried for years to get the man to see reason, but it never worked, and I will no longer sit back and watch as he puts this country in more unnecessary danger. Now, all of you, except for Charlie and Fleur, are still students and I wish I could keep you out of this war. However, the reality is that you will be part of it regardless, so the next best thing is to train you all up. That is what we are offering you. The training will be intense, and we will be pushing you to your limits every day. You will be expected to take the initiative and practice on your own, something all of you will be able to do using your trunk which masks the Trace. I want you to think about this hard before you answer."

It only took them all a few seconds to voice their acceptance of the offer.

"Wow," Charlie exclaimed. "Well you can count me in. I can even help with the training if you'd like, though I could probably use the practice as well."

"Me as well," Fleur said.

"Good to have you both on board," Harry replied. "If you need to a place to stay, Black Manor, formerly known as 12 Grimmauld Place has plenty of room for you."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer. Mum's been driving me a bit crazy lately and as much as I love her, I need some space," Charlie agreed.

"I will take zat offer as well," Fleur said. "I think I need some space at the moment." Her and Bill were having some tension in their relationship over the way she was being treated by the witches in his family.

"I'm in too," Neville declared. "I know I don't always act like it, but I do pay attention to what's going on and I've always been a bit suspicious of the Headmaster's motives concerning you. Plus, I trust both you and Professor McGonagall."

Ginny spoke up next. "You know I'm in. I know what it's like to have _him_ in my head and how much of a monster _he_ truly is. Besides, it was Harry who saved me, not Dumbledore."

"You're my friend so I will side with you," Luna spoke simply.

"You're our friend Harry and you helped us realize our dream," George said.

"We'll follow you anywhere," Fred declared.

Ron looked directly at Harry when he spoke. "I learned my lesson about going against you during our fourth year. I promised myself that I would stand by you no matter what. I won't betray you again, not for anyone. And, even I've noticed that Dumbledore's actions are suspicious." Harry nodded in response, no other words necessary between them.

Harry looked at Hermione, causing her to scoff at him. "Do you really think you have to ask me? I'm on your side, always." He nodded gratefully.

"Very well," Minerva stated as she began to explain their training. "Due to most of your unique situations and the need to keep this a secret, we will have to meet early in the morning and/or late at night. We will start with a complete assessment of your current abilities so that we can design a training plan just for you. We also will test you for any rare abilities that you may have. To meet in secret, we have trunks for all of you that are connected to one another so we can be in the same place without going anywhere."

"They also are warded to alert you if someone is nearby as well as blocking the Trace so you can practice in them whenever you have time," Harry added.

Minerva picked up from there. "One of the first things we will focus on is Occlumency to help you learn to guard your mind against those who will try to get information out of you, but we will explain more later." Minerva handed out their trunks to them, explaining how they worked. They all tested them out for a moment before sitting back down at the table.

"Great," Harry said once they were all seated. "The plan is to meet in the trunks tomorrow at 4 in the morning so make sure you all set some type of alarm to wake you up." There were no groans or muttered complaints at the early hour, showing how seriously all of them took this situation.

He looked at Minerva, silently asking if he forgot something. "I think you should tell them the secret for access to Black manor."

"Oh yeah," Harry exclaimed as he searched his pockets for the scrap of parchment, he'd written it down on. When he found it, he passed it to them so they could read it, burning it when they'd all committed it to memory. After that, most of the others left save Minerva, Harry and Hermione. Ron wanted to stay as well, but he and Ginny needed to be back before their mum became suspicious. Harry promised to answer his questions later. Charlie and Fleur promised to come over soon, once they'd finished packing up their things.

Minerva, after glancing at Harry, left her two students to talk alone. She went to pick up some things that she needed from the house since she would be staying at Black manor for the foreseeable future.

"Go ahead and say what's on your mind Mione," Harry said when she remained silent for a while.

"You had me so worried Harry. I thought something had happened to you, especially after I figured out that you were the one the Daily Prophet named the Hooded Stranger. How bad was the news you learned that caused you to think that fighting eighteen Death Eaters on your own was a good idea?" she asked sternly.

"I didn't think it was a good idea. I knew that I could get killed, but I didn't care. That's how bad off I was," Harry admitted. "The truth is that I wanted to die, but when I had to opportunity to give up, I realized I couldn't. When I got here and had healed up enough, Minerva set me straight. It's still hard to deal with, but now I have no intention of giving up. I'm sorry I made you worried." His tone was apologetic and sincere, expressing how much he wished he hadn't upset his friend.

Hermione pulled him into a hug. "I know you are. I just wish you would ask for help when you're feeling like that. You're the one of the first friends I've ever had, and I don't won't to lose you."

"I promise I'll do better."

After a moment, Hermione pulled away, a curious expression on her face. "So, since when has _Professor_ McGonagall been Minerva to you?"

"Umm… well she's been training me in secret since my name came out of that stupid goblet. She kept on doing so during the summer and this past school year. I would have told you, but we didn't want Dumbledore to know about it and you didn't know Occlumency."

"So that's where you used to disappear off to. I thought you were training on your own or just needed time away from everyone to blow off some steam, so I left you alone. With everything that happened during this past school year, I figured you simply continued that pattern."

"No, she helped me a lot. We're… well we're basically friends."

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Harry shrugged helplessly. "Maybe, but I can't just call her my professor. She means more to me than that."

"Really? How much does she mean to you?" She raised her eyebrow at him. He was unable to contain his blush, remaining quiet. "You have a crush on her, don't you?"

"I do." He didn't want to lie to his best friend.

She stared at him intently. "Is it just an innocent crush, or is there more to it?"

"More," he whispered. "I've been attracted to her since our third year, but instead of going away, it's only gotten stronger. Especially since she started training me and I actually got to know her. Now, I'm going through some behavioral and thought process changes due to my injury from Greyback and my feelings are really intense right now. I don't know what to do."

"If it was anyone else, I'd tell you to let it go, but…"

"But what?"

"Well, if anyone could make such an unconventional relationship work, it would be the two of you. Strangely enough, I can kind of see you together."

"You sound like Dora. And before you ask, she managed to figure it out on her own, her and Sirius. I made both take a vow of secrecy, though it did help some being able to talk to someone about it."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'm here to support you."

"Thanks, Mione."

"Now, tell me all about your elemental powers and this natural animagus transformation. Oh, and congratulations on your OWLs. I knew you could do well if you were motivated enough, and it turns out that impressing a certain professor was all the motivation you needed." Harry groaned at her teasing. "Don't get upset Harry. Besides, at least with the beard you've grown out, you look older." She was referring to the circle beard that he'd been letting grow since the start of the summer. What he didn't know was that Minerva approved of it as well, though it did make it even harder than it already was to remember his actual age.

\- H.M. –

When Harry and Minerva got back, Susan had already informed the others about how the meeting had gone and Charlie and Fleur had already gotten moved in. The group had an early dinner where they talked and got to know more about the new additions to the group. Amelia, Tonks, and Hestia explained how their day at the auror's office went, letting them know that they had chosen a small group of aurors to help keep an eye on everyone, especially Ivy for the moment. Amelia hadn't made any big moves just yet, but she planned on doing so soon. They retired for bed early they had to get up so early in the morning. Harry and Minerva, with both their minds on the morning's events, were hesitant to sleep together again. Both agreed to do it in the end, but they also hoped that Samena would be able to solve the problem tomorrow since neither knew how much longer they could stand the torture.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Alright so I had planned on finishing this a while ago, but it took me a while to figure out how I wanted to set up the ritual that is mentioned in it. Plus, I've been working on renovating in my house so that took up my time too. But here it is. It's a little long but there are a lot of important things in it. Hopefully you will enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 11

At 3 in the morning, an alarm sounded off loudly in the room, waking up Harry and Minerva. They quickly sprung apart when the fuzziness of sleep cleared and they realized how they were arranged in the bed, which was similar to the previous morning. This time, neither could avoid having to explain how they had ended up in such an intimate position by playing sleep or sneaking away before the other woke. Instead, they sat in an awkward silence for a minute until Harry nervously spoke up, afraid that Minerva would be angry at him.

"Minerva, I promise I didn't try to… it just happened…"

She cut him off before he got too far into his apology. "I'm not angry with you Harry. You had no more control over your movements while you were sleep than I had over mine. Let's just get ready for the day right now. We can talk about it later." She felt it was too early in the morning for them to discuss this sensitive topic. Harry nodded in agreement, not ready to face the situation either. After another pause, the two of them started to get ready, heading for their respective bathrooms.

As everyone in Black manor met up in the trunk training rooms at a quarter to 4, the others, except for Charlie, noticed the slight tension between the two, but decided to let it go for now. They didn't have much time to ponder it anyway, since the rest of the group started arriving in the room. Poppy had also come to help with the tests as well as check on those who still had injuries, all of which were almost completely healed up.

Once everyone was there and the greetings had been made, Minerva nudged Harry forward to start talking. Last night, those in Black manor all agreed that he would be the official leader of the group and would start off the first training session. The trainees – Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Susan, Neville, Fred, and George – lined up horizontally in front of everyone, waiting for him to begin.

"Alright, so again, thanks to all of you for coming and being willing to take this path with us," Harry began after clearing his throat. "Today we're going to do a series of tests to learn your strengths and weaknesses so we can design a personalized training plan for you. I don't want any of you to get discouraged by your results because that's what training is for. Nobody can be good at everything so don't expect yourself to be either. All of us are here to help you realize your potential."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Alright so the tests today will assess your physical fitness, spell knowledge, casting strength, speed, and accuracy, and determine any magical abilities you may have. Poppy will also be checking your health and magical core and giving you nutrient potions to help you get into your optimal condition. We will conclude with an introductory lesson on Occlumency."

Hermione instinctively raised her hand, causing Harry to chuckle at her. "Go ahead Mione."

"What kind of abilities will you be testing for?"

Harry looked at Minerva, who stepped forward to answer the question. "Elemental, Metamorphmagus, Seer, Natural Animagus, Eidetic Memory, Magic Reader, Aura Reader, and Empath. The methods to determine if you have these abilities are simple spells. Does anyone need me to explain what any of the abilities mean?" When they all nodded their heads, she launched into a short lecture.

"An Elemental has the ability to control one of the four elements without the use of a wand. You all should know that a Metamorph has the ability to change their appearance at will without potions or spells, but Dora here can explain it in more detail to anyone that might have the ability. A Natural Animagus is similar to the Ministry version except that it allows you to change the size of your animal, use magic in that form, and gain more of its abilities and characteristics. A Seer can predict prophecies, and some are even gifted enough to see possible futures based on choices that are made. Eidetic Memory allows you to remember and be able to use any knowledge you read from books or see elsewhere. This ability is improved when one knows Occlumency. Magic Readers can see and interpret the magic in their environment as well as in wards, a treasured ability for a curse-breaker. Hestia has that ability. An Aura reader on the other hand, can see and determine the magical nature of beings and creatures. I have a friend named Samena who has that ability. Finally, an Empath can sense the emotions of those around them, though not their thoughts. It also has to be controlled or it might overwhelm the individual."

Harry gave them all a moment to absorb that information before speaking up again. "Alright, with that being said, let's begin."

He led them over to the physical exercise station. There he made them do several activities to test their strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance. Harry also had himself and the other trainers go through it to determine their fitness level and discover areas they needed to improve on. During the magical part, targets and training dummies were used to test their magical prowess, knowledge, and dueling capabilities. Minerva and Andromeda administered the magical abilities tests. To test for the elemental ability, Minerva had them cast spells of all four elements and asked them to feel if any of them felt easier to cast than the rest. Poppy finished it all off by checking everyone's health and magical cores, trainers and trainees alike. She made a note of the types of nutrient potions each of them would need, promising to bring them all by at tomorrow's session.

Minerva, Amelia, Tonks, Hestia, and Andromeda walked around taking notes on the trainees' performances throughout the testing, with Harry helping a lot during the physical part. Charlie and Fleur helped Harry with administering some of the tests and took note of their observations as well. When all of the tests were done, the trainers took a few moments to compile all of their data while giving the students time to take a break. Harry, after giving his assessments went to join the trainees. They all looked expectantly at him as he sat down with them.

"Alright, what have you all been talking about?" he asked cautiously. "If you're worried about how you did, don't. All of you did really good. You're already good witches and wizards. Almost all of you were in the Department of Mysteries and were able to hold your own against the Death Eaters. This training is simply to help you get stronger to face the dangers of this war."

"How bad do you think it will get?" Susan asked.

"I… I don't really know," Harry admitted. "I've read up some on how the first one went, and this time looks to be worse. We have to be ready for anything they might throw at us."

"Will you be continuing the Defense Association at school this year?" Hermione inquired.

Harry nodded. "Yes, and this time we likely won't have to hide it unless a certain headmaster tries to interfere. All of the students need to be able to defend themselves properly."

"Talking about defense, who do you think will be the next Defense Professor?" Ron questioned.

"Hopefully someone that won't try to kill Harry or any other student," Neville noted.

"One can only hope," Harry agreed. "I have no idea who Dumbledore might try and put in that position. Maybe we can try and get someone who's not dangerous or insane to apply for the job."

"Good luck with that one mate," Fred said.

"Yeah, it seems that dangerous and insane are requirements for that job," George observed.

"Maybe Harry can be the professor," Luna suggested simply. "He's dangerous, though only to those who mean him and his friends harm, so he meets at least one of those requirements."

Harry looked at her in shock. "Me?" The others had thoughtful expressions on their faces. "You guys can't seriously be considering this. I haven't even taken my NEWTs yet," he protested.

"We all know that you're going to pass that test easily," Ginny remarked.

"You already have experience teaching," Susan pointed out.

"Yeah, and you were great at it. I learned better from you than most other professors," Neville said.

"You'd definitely be an improvement mate," Ron said honestly.

"Have you guys forgotten that I'm still a student? Shouldn't that make me ineligible or something?" Harry countered after getting over his shock.

"Since when have you done things according to the rules?" George asked.

"Yeah, you might as well face it mate, you're the master of doing the unexpected and achieving the impossible," Fred added.

Harry looked at Hermione, hoping she would speak some sense into the others. Her words dashed that hope. "I agree with them. You already have the experience with the subject in real life as well as with teaching. And, I don't think there's any rule at Hogwarts forbidding it."

"There isn't," Minerva interjected having overheard the conversation. "In fact, there's no age limit for being a professor at all. When Hogwarts was first founded, anyone who was accomplished in an area of study could apply to be a professor, regardless of their age. Throughout the years, this rule has never been changed."

"Not you too," Harry groaned.

"Don't pout Harry, it's actually a good idea," Andromeda said.

"Indeed, though I'm not sure how we would convince Dumbledore to go along with it," Amelia remarked.

"Maybe we could convince him that it would help him get on Harry's good side," Tonks proposed.

"Even if he doesn't accept you as a full teacher, we might be able to convince him to let you be an associate professor under someone else, like me or Dora," Hestia advised.

Amelia nodded her head after mulling over the idea. "We could present it as a way to show that the safety of the students is important by having an auror as the Defense professor with the 'Chosen One' as their assistant. If we spin it right, Dumbledore will be unable to refuse." Everyone voiced their approval of this plan

Harry looked around at all of them. "I can't believe you all think this is a good idea. I… I'm not making any promises, but I'll consider it."

Then, before anyone else could say anything Harry suggested that the results be given out to change the subject. Minerva, realizing he needed time to come to terms with their suggestion, did exactly that.

"Okay, well first, I want you all to know that you did very well. These parchments have your results and training plan for you to go over at your own leisure. We will start tomorrow morning at the same time, so be prepared for that." She passed them out before continuing. "Now, as for your abilities, you all have at least one. Hermione has an Eidetic Memory, which explains why she is able to remember so much of what you read. Ronald, Fred, and George are all Natural Animagi. Susan is an Empath. I'm almost certain that Ginny and Neville are Elementals, fire and water respectively, though we'll have to do another activity to confirm this tomorrow. Luna is a true Seer. I have given you all some additional information about these abilities with your results, so study them thoroughly."

Once they calmed down from their excitement about their respective abilities Andromeda begin the Occlumency introduction. "Alright, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the art, Occlumency is simply a way to organize and protect your thoughts, emotions, and memories from those who would try invade your mind. Now the way you do that is determined by you as you need to choose a method that fits your personality. I have copies of book, written by a member of the Black family, that details these different methods as well as several exercises to practice. I want you to read over it during the rest of the day. Right now, I will simply be entering your mind to check its natural defenses as well as put rudimentary shields up to protect you until you can do so yourself. Until you have mastered this technique, I want you to avoid direct eye contact with those you don't know or can't trust." After the trainees, which in this area included Charlie who didn't know Occlumency, nodded in acceptance, Andromeda did just as she said, finishing after about twenty minutes.

"I think that's enough for today," Harry said. "Tomorrow, the real hard work will begin so I advise you all to study everything you've been given thoroughly and prepare yourself." Almost everyone left through their respective doors except for Harry and Ron.

"So, you've been secretly training with Professor McGonagall since the tournament?" Ron probed.

"Yes. At the time, it was best if no one knew about it but us so that Dumbledore couldn't find out," Harry answered.

"I understand that, but how did you get bloody 'Battle-Axe McGonagall' to let you use her first name?"

Harry shrugged in response. "I don't know. It kind of surprised me too, but I eventually got used to it. Besides, she's not as strict as she usually portrays herself to be. Even has a wicked sense of humor when you get to know her."

"That woman is full of surprises. Did you know she was hiding how she looked?"

"I suspected it, but it wasn't confirmed until recently."

"It's a good thing she did or none of us would have been able to focus in her class." They shared a laugh before Ron's tone turned thoughtful. "How are you doing with all of this mate?"

Harry sighed. "It's definitely a lot to deal with, but I'm doing better than I was before."

"Well, I just want you to know that I meant what I said yesterday. I'm here if you need anything, even if it's just to vent. I know I messed up before, and let my jealousy get out of control, but it won't happen again. I've been doing some thinking since then and I realize that your life is far from easy and I should be happy with what I have instead of wanting what I don't."

"Thanks Ron. Even though sometimes you're a bit thick, I'm still glad to have you as a friend."

The two shook hands before departing to their respective destinations.

After taking showers and getting ready for the rest of the day, those in Black manor were greeted by the Daily Prophet with the announcement of their survival and their interview with David splashed on the front page. When they had all finished reading it and were satisfied with how it had been written, one thought ran universally through their minds. This was voiced by Tonks.

"How do you think Riddle's going to react to that?"

\- H.M. –

At the Malfoy mansion, his death eaters were trying to avoid the answer to that question. Most of them had reacted with anger and fear when they'd seen the morning paper. Some had even fled the mansion, pretending that they had some other business to attend to for the morning. Unfortunately, the two death eaters who had been responsible for checking whether Amelia and the others had survived had not read the paper just yet and were unaware of their approaching doom.

As Wormtail went to deliver the Daily Prophet to Voldemort in the dining room, one of his daily duties, he shuddered at the thought of what the Dark Lord would do to those two as punishment for this recent failure.

"Here is the paper for you, my Lord," Wormtail announced quietly as he placed it on the table in front of him. The rat animagus scurried off quickly before the wizard could read it.

Voldemort dismissed Wormtail's cowardly behavior as he picked up the paper, not thinking anything of it since the man was always cowardly. When he read the headline on the first page however, he began to shake with fury. Angrily, he snapped at a nearby death eater to fetch the two who he had instructed to check for signs of life. As he waited for their return, he read through the rest of the article, his angering growing with each word. By the time the two arrived, lacking the death eater who had been sent to retrieve them, he was beyond himself.

"Explain this now!" he instructed dangerously, his voice barely above a whisper.

The two of them looked at their Lord quizzically, not knowing what the wizard was talking about. One of them gathered up the courage to ask what was going on but regretted it immediately.

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" Voldemort exploded, unable to contain his anger as he threw the paper at them. The two of them paled as they read the headline. Voldemort placed them under the Cruciatus curse for a minute before speaking again. "What's wrong is that I sent the two of you make sure the five of them were dead and you failed to do that. They survived and managed to escape because you two didn't check thoroughly enough. Do you know how bad this makes me look?" He periodically placed them under the Cruciatus as he ranted at them.

The two death eaters tried to babble their way through an apology and explanation but were cut off when Voldemort's patience ran out.

"Enough!" he shouted, causing them to go silent immediately. "For your failure, you will spend the next few days in the dungeon with no food or water. Then I will decide what to do with you. I will make you an example of what happens to those who fail me in this way."

As the two death eaters were dragged away kicking and screaming, Voldemort reflected on the one good thing that came out of this. _At least that Hooded nuisance is no longer a problem_.

How wrong he was.

\- H.M. –

Harry and Minerva left for the latter's home to wait for Samena to arrive, shortly after breakfast was finished. When they got there, they went to the training room as Minerva intended to have Harry practice and do some studying while they waited. First, she wanted to address something that had crossed her mind yesterday.

"I've been meaning to ask you something. In all the chaos that's been going on, I haven't asked you how you're handling Sirius's death."

Harry looked down for a second. "I… I miss him a lot. He was one of the few people that really cared about me just for me. Even with him being on the run, he always took the time to answer my letters and care about my problems, no matter how small they were."

"He was a good man and he did not deserve the hand life dealt to him, but I'm glad the two of you got the chance to know each other. Even if that time was far too short."

"Me too. I… I know it's not my fault that he died, but sometimes I can't help but feel responsible, you know."

"I understand exactly what you mean. From my experience, the best way to honor the sacrifices of those we love is to try remembering them as they lived and not dwell on their deaths. Instead, we should focus on the happiness they brought into our lives. It takes time to get to the point where you can think of them without it always being so painful, but you'll get there."

"How long did it take you?"

"Too long, but I did get to that point. Sometimes it's still hard, but not nearly as much as it was before." Minerva released a deep breath. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me about it anytime. For now, though, you need to get some studying and practicing in before Samena gets here. Just because you're ahead of the others doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Yes Professor."

Samena didn't arrive for another three hours, giving the two of them time to get some things done. They focused most of that time working on Harry's studies and elemental abilities. Then, Minerva remembered that she needed to start teaching him how to apparate since Amelia informed them that he could take the test as soon as he was ready. She only got through the basics before the sound of the floo interrupted them. They put up their stuff before heading to the living room to greet their guest.

When they got there, a dark-skinned woman of slightly above average height with black curly hair was dusting herself off. As she looked up, they could see her intense golden eyes that spoke of much wisdom and experience. It was like she was looking right through you, an effect that Minerva realized Harry had on others as well at times. The woman also had an ageless quality about her, as if she was from another time, making it hard to guess her age.

Minerva quickly went over to greet her, pulling the woman into a warm hug that was reciprocated.

"It's so good to see you Samena," Minerva said as they moved to hold each other at arm's length.

"You as well Minnie, though I wish the circumstances were better. But beggars can't be choosers," Samena replied. "Now please introduce me to this handsome young man of yours."

Minerva rolled her eyes at her friend's innuendo. "This is Harry Potter and he is my student."

Samena waved off Minerva's correction. "He is also your friend, or he wouldn't be here in this house. Either way, it's very nice to meet you Harry. Minerva has told me a bit about you," Samena said as she held her hand out.

Harry accepted it, shaking her hand as he replied. "Only good things I hope," he joked. "It's nice to meet you as well. Minerva's told me a bit about you as well."

His use of his professor's first name caused Samena to turn and give the woman a pointed look that said, 'We'll talk about this later,' before she turned back to Harry. "Well I'm sure we'll be getting to know a lot more about each other soon enough. But I need some sustenance before we begin that journey. Traveling so far works up an appetite."

"Of course," Minerva declared. "Lunch is already ready for us."

They adjourned to the kitchen to eat the meal Winky had prepared for them. As they ate, Samena told them a few stories about the different places she'd been to recently and the things she had done. She explained to Harry about her self-appointed task to rediscover the hidden or forgotten mysteries of magic from all around the world. When Harry asked how she made her living, she told him how she used the knowledge she gained in her travels as well as her Aura Reader abilities to help people out. She had also written a few books and sold some of the rare items and ingredients she acquired along the way, though nothing that was too dangerous.

Harry and Minerva also caught Samena up on what had happened in Britain recently. They described how the Ministry ran a campaign to undermine and suppress Harry's claims that Voldemort was back. They explained how Umbridge, with Fudge's permission, tried to take control of Hogwarts and demean anyone that disagreed with the Ministry's position or were of "lower" status. Then they talked about the events of the end of the year and what had happened so far this summer. The only thing they left out was anything to do with the horcruxes, but they described the plans they had made so far and some of their grievances with Dumbledore. Samena was only a little surprised by how Dumbledore had failed the students of Hogwarts and Harry and voiced her own distrust of the man. She believed that anyone who had as much power as he did were bound to lose sight of what is right if they didn't have someone to help ground them.

Once they finished eating, they went into the library, with a few snacks and drinks being provided by Winky in there. Minerva pulled out the pensieve and any memories they might show Samena before they began talking.

"Now, from your letter, I can assume that you have something very serious to discuss with me," Samena asked.

Minerva nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and it's quite a long story."

"I think I should tell you about my experiences at Hogwarts before we get to the main topic," Harry suggested. "In fact, we can show you the memories, if you'd like."

"If that will make it easier for you," Samena agreed.

Harry did so, saving the memory of his time in the Chamber of Secrets for last since it was the one most directly related to the horcruxes. As it got to the part in that memory where Voldemort revealed his birth name, Samena gasped in shocked horror, causing Harry to pause the memory.

"What's wrong Samena?" Minerva asked concernedly, seeing the fear on her friend's face.

"I know Tom, went to school with him in fact, and he's supposed to be dead," Samena admitted.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I was in the same year as him in Hogwarts and was also sorted into Slytherin, so we spent a lot of time together. We were even friends as I was unable to see behind the charming façade, he put up to hide his true self." Samena paused as the memories of that time in her life passed through her mind.

"But you said he's supposed to be dead?" Minerva pressed.

"About two years after we graduated, he contacted me. He asked to join me on my exploration of arcane magic around the world, something he knew I was planning on doing since we had kept in touch regularly. I agreed, seeing nothing wrong with the request at the time. The first few weeks were normal, and we fell back into the rhythm of our friendship easily." Samena took a deep breath before continuing. "Then I started noticing that he was focusing most of his attention on the darker magic and rituals, some of which were considered evil. He revealed his true nature when I confronted him about it. I tried to make him see reason and warned him about the dangers of the path he was walking, but he wouldn't listen. So, to save the world from the monster I realized he was, I fought him and managed to mortally wound him. I thought he was dead, but I guess I was wrong. After that, I stayed away from Britain since my memories were tainted by him. When Voldemort began his reign of terror, it didn't even occur to me that he might be Tom."

Harry looked at Minerva as they both realized why he didn't die. Harry saw this as an opportunity to transition to the main reason for this meeting. "There's something you didn't know about him that prevented him from dying. See, Riddle made horcruxes, with his first created while he was still a student at Hogwarts. In fact, the diary that you see in this memory is his first one."

Samena looked up in alarm. "How do you know this?"

"Let's finish watching this memory and then we'll explain it," Minerva suggested. Samena agreed and they viewed the rest of Harry's fight against the Basilisk and his destruction of the diary. Samena was very impressed by what Harry had been able to accomplish at such a young age and understood why Minerva was so fond of him. She was curious about how close the two of them were and planned on asking her friend as soon as she was alone with her.

Harry took a few moments to gather his thoughts once the memory was finished and Samena waited patiently. "Voldemort, or Riddle as we call him, made horcruxes in an attempt to be immortal. He made seven of them in total. One is already destroyed, and we have two others that need to be. The rest we're still searching for."

"Well that explains why he didn't die. I knew that man was insane, but to tear his soul apart to that degree is unheard of. The most I've heard someone make is three, and that was extreme enough," Samena remarked disgustedly. "But how did you figure this out."

"A few days after the summer started, I got curious about the connection between me and Riddle. So, I probed it through my mindscape and… I learned that on the night my parents were murdered I unintentionally became one. I have a memory for you to watch that shows this," Harry admitted, putting his head down. Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder in support.

Samena was horrified but made sure to school her expression to one of compassion. She could see how much this affected him and didn't want him to think that she was disgusted with him. "You are much too young to be burdened with so many hardships. I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you."

"Thank you, Samena," Harry replied after realizing that she wasn't afraid or disgusted by him.

"Do you know of a way to get it out of him?" Minerva asked.

"First let me look at the memory and do a full examination of him. Then I will discuss what his choices are," Samena answered.

Minerva pulled out the relevant memory and dropped it into the pensieve. With a nod to the two, Samena dunked her head inside to view it alone.

"Do you think she'll be able to get it out of me?" Harry asked Minerva as they waited. He was nervous now that he was about to find out if the horcrux could be removed and worried that he would not get the answer he wanted.

Minerva sensed this and made him look up to face her. "I do. Samena has spent almost her whole life studying several different types of magic, especially those unknown to most. It likely won't be easy, but I'm sure she'll come up with something." They waited anxiously for about ten minutes for Samena to finish viewing the memory.

"Your parents were very brave for the way they sacrificed themselves for you," Samena commented once she was done. "I had a suspicion when I saw your scar up close, but the memory confirmed it. They used an ancient Greek protection ritual that required their lives to be given up in order to give you some of their magic to strengthen you. That's what those lights that flew into you were."

"What about the horcrux?" Harry asked.

"That is definitely what went inside of you, which likely means he had already started the ritual and intended to make one with your death. Before I can make suggestions on how to get it out, I need to get a better look at you and ask you some questions," Samena said as she gestured for him to stand up. She took out her wand and stood up as well. "Just relax, this won't hurt at all, but it will take several minutes."

When Harry nodded, she began waving her wand in several intricate patterns and activated her Aura Reader ability, writing down a few things on a notepad provided by Minerva periodically. As she had warned him, it did take several minutes. Harry tried to stay as still as possible, though it was hard for him to resist the urge to squirm a bit. Even though he had stronger sense of confidence due to his injury from Greyback, he still felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. Especially when someone was waving their wand around him and he didn't know what they were searching for.

"Alright, you can sit down now Harry," Samena said when she had finished. Harry let out a loud sigh of relief and quickly retook his seat. Samena and Minerva shook their heads at his actions.

"I doubt it was that bad," Minerva remarked.

"How about you stand there and let someone wave their wand around you like that without knowing exactly what they're looking for," Harry challenged. His tone was light though to show that he was joking.

"Well, my examination isn't quite done yet," Samena interjected. "I need you to tell me more about the extent of the connection between you and Riddle and how you think it affects you."

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Harry asked.

"You have visions whenever he's feeling strong emotions?"

"Yeah and they hurt badly, though I can block them off sometimes with Occlumency. He was even able to send me false visions when he realized that we were connected."

"Have you ever been able to look in his mind?"

"I did." Harry gave a brief summary of the beginning of his summer and how he was able to learn about the two death eater raids by spying on Riddle.

"That was very dangerous… but also very brave. It seems that he's not as aware of your presence as you are of him." Samena paused in though for a moment before continuing. "What about psychological effects? Do you sometimes get unexpected depressive or angry thoughts in your head but don't know their origin or reasoning?"

Harry nodded. "Both. I also have some really bad nightmares which makes it hard to sleep, though I don't know if that's related."

"It is. In the few documented cases of human horcruxes, explosive nightmares are one of the most common symptoms noted. But you seem to be pretty well rested right now. How often do you have them?"

"Every night."

"How are you managing them then?" The embarrassed look Harry and Minerva shared gave her the answer. "I see. Well honestly, that's one of the best ways to deal with them. The presence of the magic of someone who you trust can be very effective in keeping nightmares at bay. However, I can ward the room you sleep in to help minimize them if you'd like. It's not as effective as your current method, but it will help you nonetheless." She smirked at how quickly they agreed to that.

"Is there anything else you need to know?" Minerva asked, ready to change the subject.

Samena resisted the urge to tease the two of them further. "No, I have all of the information I need. First, I want you both to know that Harry here is a very unique wizard, which is a good thing. He naturally is very powerful, though you already know that based on the two elements he has the ability to control. The protection his parents gave him increased that strength some as well. His heart, despite having a horcrux inside of him, is pure. One of, if not the, purest I've ever seen. This is partly due to his parent's protection, but the purity of his heart rejected the horcrux strongly enough to prevent it from tainting him. Being healed by a phoenix helped too. He is also in excellent condition health-wise, something that is very important for any method of horcrux-removal. All in all, he's in better condition than anyone else I've read about in his situation."

"So, it can be removed then?" Minerva pressed.

"Yes. Though there are no actual rituals specifically designed to remove a horcrux from a living container, there are several purification rituals that can accomplish this. None of them are without their risks. Instead of going through a list of them all, I will simply explain the method I think is best for him."

Harry nodded for Samena to continue.

"Very well. I believe that the Greek Soul Purification Ritual would work best for your situation. It was designed centuries ago to purge all impurities from the soul and has been used to remove horcruxes twice before, with one being successful. The requirements of the participant are a strong will, high magical strength, and a pure heart, something you have spades. The reason the other attempt I mentioned failed is because the participant did not have a pure heart. Now, as I said before, it is risky. It can result in irreparable damage to the magic or soul if not carried out correctly, but all of them carry this risk. What makes this ritual ideal is that it also requires the help of a human 'anchor' who will lend you their strength and serve as a tether to this world."

"Can anyone be an anchor or are there a set of requirements?" Harry piped up.

"There has to be mutual love and trust between you and your chosen anchor. It doesn't have to be romantic, but it does have to be very strong. There is a spell to test the compatibility of an anchor, so you will know beforehand if the person you choose will work. There is something else you should know before you make your decision though," Samena said, pausing to show the seriousness of what she was about to say. "You and your anchor will form a bond that will give you access to all of each other's memories, good or bad. It can also have other effects such as the ability to sense each other's emotions or more. Unfortunately, the anchor bond is not well researched since those involved kept much of it to themselves, but it is not harmful or so strong that you will be forced to stay within a certain distance of each other. However, this is a very intimate thing to share and you should think carefully about who you want to have this connection with."

"How does the ritual work?" Minerva asked after a moment of silence.

"It has to occur on the night of a full moon and requires some rare and powerful ingredients. 48 hours beforehand, the participant and the anchor will have to take purification potions to remove any potions, curable sicknesses, and binds on magic. This is simply to put you in the optimal condition. It is also advised that they do very little magic in that time to conserve as much of their strength as possible. The ingredients that will be used to draw the runes for the circle and on those involved include phoenix tears, blood from the participant and the anchor, blood from a unicorn, willingly given, dragon blood of the participant's choice, and water from a magical lake in Greece called the Límni tis Aretís, or the Lake of Virtue. I can gather all of the ingredients except for the unicorn blood, which has to be given directly to the participant. During the ritual, I will recite the chant and the anchor will make their pledge. After that, it is up to the participant, aided by their anchor, to fight against the impurity in their soul and remove it while keeping their soul intact. In this case, the horcrux will try to be the soul that remains in the body, so this will be especially hard and very painful. Once it is done, the participant will need at least 24 hours to recover."

Harry sat back thoughtfully as he mentally went through everything he'd been told. While most of it was pretty straightforward, he was wary of the prospect of being bonded to someone else and sharing his memories with them. However, Harry trusted that Samena was giving him the best option and at least this method meant he wouldn't have to face this alone. As he thought about who he might choose for an anchor, Minerva was the first name that went through his mind. He knew if he asked her, she would do it, but still he hesitated. It meant that she would likely learn of his confused feelings for her and he didn't know if that was such a good idea or how it would affect their friendship.

Samena guessed at the dilemma Harry was facing. "You don't have to choose an anchor right this moment Harry. It will take me 30 days to make the purification potions and I also have to gather the rest of the ingredients. We won't be able to perform the ritual until the full moon in August, so you have plenty of time to make a decision on that."

"Okay, then if you're sure that this is the best way to go forward, I'll do it," Harry decided.

"It is. I will leave tomorrow to get started. Do you have a particular breed of dragon whose blood you'd like to use? It's best if the dragon has some sort of significance to you," Samena questioned.

"If you can get it, then Hungarian Horntail blood would be best," Harry replied.

"Ah yes, you managed to best one during the tournament. That is a good choice," Samena agreed.

"I have one more question," Minerva spoke up. "Harry was planning on becoming an animagus during the upcoming full moon. Will that have any adverse effects on the ritual?"

"No. He can move forward with that plan," Samena replied with a smile.

"Well, now that that's been decided, let's go back to Black manor so you can meet some of the others," Harry declared.

\- H.M. –

When they returned to Black manor, Samena was introduced to Andromeda and Susan, who were the only ones there since everyone else was at work. She told them a bit about herself and what she did, and they reciprocated. Then Harry and Minerva showed her to the room she would stay in for the night. Once she had her stuff put away, they went to Harry's room so she could set up the ward that would help with his nightmares. After that, she and Minerva went to go talk in private in her room while Harry went to his study to be alone for a while.

When the two witches were seated on the bed in the room, Samena decided to ease her way into learning more about Harry and Minerva's relationship. "So, Harry is definitely a one-of-a-kind wizard."

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked, unsure where Samena was going with this.

"Well, I've only met two other living horcruxes and none of them were in as good a condition as he is for one. To have a heart that's so pure despite the evil that is latched onto his soul is amazing. He also seems to have a strong sense of duty and a good moral compass. That is especially noteworthy considering he didn't have any good role models until he started Hogwarts at 11."

"He is definitely different from most wizards I've ever met," Minerva admitted. "Special even."

Samena eyed Minerva curiously. "Special huh? Do you mean in general, or to you?"

Minerva avoided her gaze. "I don't know what you're implying."

"Hah, don't give me that Minnie. You know exactly what I'm implying and the fact that you're defensive about it gives me your answer."

"While I do consider him my friend, he is still my student. What you're implying is completely inappropriate."

"Maybe, but that doesn't stop it from being true. If you didn't feel so strongly for him, you never would have offered to sleep with him to help him with his nightmares."

"I… he needed to sleep, and I couldn't think of anything else that would help."

"Would you have done that for anyone else?"

Minerva looked away in shame. "No."

"Then you did it because he is special to you." Samena's tone was gentle and nonjudgmental.

Minerva voice was barely above a whisper as she replied. "He's not supposed to be. At least not like that."

"The heart wants what it wants. We have no control over that."

"I'm too old for him."

"You're not that old and you surely don't look like you are either. Plus, I know for a fact that you are still able to bare children."

"Samena!" Minerva was scandalized.

"Well it's the truth and you've always wanted a family. Maybe this is another opportunity to do so."

Minerva sighed deeply, trying to ignore the seed of hope that sprouted from Samena's words. "It doesn't matter. He could never see me that way so there's no point in thinking about it."

"You can't tell me that you really don't notice the way he looks at you," Samena insisted.

"He's young and it's likely nothing more than a crush that he'll get over soon enough," Minerva argued. She refused to get her hopes up for something she saw as impossible.

Samena shook her head at her friend's obliviousness. "I think you should ask him before you make that determination, but I'll let it go for now. Just remember that not everyone gets a second chance like this." Samena moved on before Minerva could argue with her any further. "Anyway, tell me more about these horcruxes that monster made. Maybe I can help you figure out where the rest might be."

The two of them discussed that and other things for over two hours, making a trip back to Minerva's house to retrieve the pensieve and memories so Samena could view them. After reviewing all of the evidence, Samena suggested that they look in the ROR at Hogwarts since she knew Voldemort spent some time there when he was a student. Then the conversation shifted to lighter topics as they caught up with each other.

After a while, Kreacher came by to tell them that everyone else was back from work and that dinner was ready. The two of them thanked the house-elf before heading downstairs. Minerva introduced Samena to everyone she hadn't met yet before looking around for Harry. When she realized that he wasn't there, she excused herself to go retrieve him. As she reached the third floor, she heard the sound of music being played and followed it until she got to Harry's private study.

She stopped at the door to take in the scene in front of her. Harry was sat in front of the piano, moving his fingers expertly over the keys as he played. She'd never heard the song before, but it was beautiful. Instead of interrupting him, she remained quiet, simply allowing the emotional melody to swirl around her.

As he played the final notes, Minerva shook herself from the daze she'd been in and spoke up. "It seems you are an excellent piano player just like Dora said."

Harry turned around, startled to see her standing at the door. "Oh hey, I didn't hear you come in."

"What were you playing?"

"It was Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' the first movement, one of my favorite pieces."

"Well you played it beautifully."

"Thank you. I had to practice really hard to get it right."

"You're welcome. Anyway, I came up here to tell you that dinner was ready, and everyone's returned from work.

"Alright. Let's go then."

A minute later they were seated at the dining table with everyone else. Dinner was a nice affair as they all talked and joked with each other. Everyone shared funny stories as they got to know those they were just meeting. After dinner, Harry and Minerva took Andromeda, Tonks, Amelia, and Samena to the side to discuss the horcrux ritual. He also asked Hestia to join them after a bit of hesitation, deciding that she should be brought in on the subject as well. They could use her help and experience finding these things as well as getting past any obstacles in the way. Once they caught her up and she got over her shock and horror, Samena explained the ritual that they would be using to remove the horcrux from Harry. She told them about everything in great detail, answering most of the questions they had about it. They also talked about possible places Voldemort may have hidden his horcruxes with Samena giving them the same advice about the ROR that she'd told Minerva earlier. Harry promised that it would be the first thing he did once he was back at school.

Eventually, all of them retired to bed, since they had to get up early for training. When Harry and Minerva reached their rooms, they bid each other an awkward good night before heading into their respective rooms. It took them both longer than usual to fall asleep as they missed each other's presence, though neither would admit it out loud. It would be a restless night for them.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Another long chapter. I had planned it out differently, but as I started writing, this is what came out. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 12

The next morning, training started in earnest. For the first hour, all of them, trainees and trainers, were worked hard physically as they went through the exercises Harry, Amelia, and Minerva had designed for them. The goal was to increase their endurance, strength, speed, reflexes, and ability to dodge. Trainees and trainers alike, disliked them for the difficult exercises, but none complained since they realized it was all for their own good.

The second hour consisted of magic practice where the trainees worked hard on the areas that they struggled with such as accuracy, power, and control. The trainers also taught them advanced defensive and offensive magic, worked on silent casting, and practiced dueling. They had them split up into different pairs each day, with Harry participating to make it even. This was to help them learn how to adjust to different dueling styles. It also helped them to learn each other's as well so that they could fight together well.

For the last hour, they worked on Occlumency with Andromeda. She began teaching them how to build and maintain their mental defenses as well as how to store their memories, thoughts, and emotions. For the first day, she talked to them each individually to help them discover the method that best fit them.

Samena, joined them the morning before she left and gave all the trainees, except for the natural animagi, books on their abilities to help them learn how to control and use them. Ginny and Neville's elemental abilities were confirmed by Minerva who gave them the same exercises to practice on their own that she had assigned Harry. Ron, Fred, and George had been informed that they would wait until school started to complete their animagus transformation since it would be easier to hide it there. The three wizards were a bit disappointed but understood the reasoning behind it.

This training schedule continued for the rest of the week. They met every single day, including the weekends when they trained for an extra hour. By the end of the first week

During the rest of the day, the trainees spent as much time studying and practicing as they could without getting caught. Those living in Black Manor did a variety of things. Charlie, Fleur, Amelia, Andromeda, Tonks, and Hestia went to work during the day, with the latter two alternating days for going into the office or staying to "guard" Harry. When they weren't working, Amelia and Andromeda began to prepare for the Wizengamot session that was to happen on August 5th. Throughout the week, they cautiously reached out to some of their contacts, mentioning a possible new faction entering the fray and asking them to keep an open mind. They also taught Harry about what to expect during the session and started working on what he would say during it.

Meanwhile, Minerva kept Harry busy with training and studying during the day, including apparition practice. Harry was quickly learning how to control his two elements, something that Minerva was very proud of, but he still had a lot of work before he could claim to be proficient with them. He also had almost mastered apparition by the end of the week and Minerva planned to bring him to the Ministry to take his test on Monday of the next week. As for his NEWT studies, Minerva was sure that he would be well prepared to take the test which Amelia had scheduled for August 12th.

Susan joined them during their training and study sessions as well. Minerva and Harry, not wanting her to feel left out, made sure to work with her on her spell casting when they were in the training room. When they were studying, Minerva answered any question of Susan's that she could while also helping Harry. Susan and Harry spent some of the studying time working on their summer homework together, trying to get it finished quickly so they would have more time to devote to training. They also spent time together during their free time, getting to know each other better than they had at school.

Only a few things of note occurred during the rest of the week. Remus replied to Harry the day after Samena visited, but it wasn't a good one. Throughout the letter, he continuously made excuses for not being there for Harry or not trying to reach out to him after they finally met during Harry's third year. He also urged Harry to listen to Dumbledore and return back to the Dursleys for his safety. Harry didn't write back to him.

Harry's sleeping situation was alright, though not as good as when he and Minerva slept together. While he was experiencing nightmares, they weren't as explosive as before thanks to the ward Samena put up. He was even able to settle down enough to go back to sleep if they woke him up. Minerva kept a close eye on him to check for any signs of exhaustion, but he seemed to be getting adequate sleep for right now. Still, Harry missed their previous arrangement more than he cared to admit.

Those in the know about the horcruxes also spent time trying to figure out where they might be hidden. Hestia suggested that one of them might be hidden in places connected to Voldemort's relatives so they started searching for where they might have lived or any other places that were connected to them. It was hard going, though since not much was known publicly about the Gaunt family or their former whereabouts.

Then on Friday, Harry, Minerva, Tonks, and Andromeda got notices about Sirius's Will reading that would occur on Monday at 10 in the morning. It took an hour destroying training dummies and a talk from Minerva to calm Harry down. He was upset that he had to go, not wanting to deal with the situation at all, but she and Tonks were able to convince him it was best that he just gets it over with so he could move on. He reluctantly agreed. They also warned him that Dumbledore would likely be there so he would have to be prepared for that.

\- H.M. –

On Monday, Harry and Minerva left Black Manor half an hour before Sirius's Will reading was set to start. Andromeda and Tonks were going to come later to avoid anyone suspecting them of being in contact with Harry. When they arrived, a young goblin took them directly to a conference room that was set up for the event. Ripclaw was sitting at the head of the long table and looked up when they entered the room.

"Good to see you Harry, though I'm sure we both wish the circumstances were better," Ripclaw greeted as they both sat down to his right. "And you as well Professor McGonagall."

"Good to see you too Ripclaw/Manger Ripclaw," Harry and Minerva replied respectively.

"May I ask what happened to your face?" Ripclaw asked.

Harry, who hadn't covered up his new scar yet, chose his words carefully before answering. "Let's just say I had a fight with a certain being that happens to transform on a certain night of the month. Trust me, he's in a much worse condition than I am."

"Would I be correct in assuming this individual was one of the most notorious of his kind," Ripclaw asked knowingly.

"I believe you would be," Harry replied.

"Then I thank you for the service you have done for the world. While I have no prejudices against them in general, he gave them a bad reputation. He's a big part of why they're so oppressed, so it's good that he's no longer around to cause problems," Ripclaw observed.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement. "You're welcome."

Ripclaw focused the conversation back onto the reason they were there. "Now, I can see you're a bit nervous about this, but I want to assure that there is nothing for you to be worried about. Mr. Black left a recorded message for the Will so all you have to do is listen to it. As the main beneficiary, you will have the right to kick out anyone who is not mentioned in the Will, but that's about all."

"It's not the Will that has me nervous. I just don't want to have to deal with people trying to demand I tell them what I've been up to this summer," Harry clarified.

"Well, if it will help you, I can announce that I need to talk to you individually at the conclusion of the reading. That way no one will have time to harass you," Ripclaw suggested.

"Thanks, Ripclaw that would be greatly appreciated," Harry said.

"Very well, I will be back when the reading is set to start, but the two of you may remain here," Ripclaw stated before exiting the room.

Minerva observed Harry for a moment after the goblin left before speaking up. "How have you been sleeping?"

"Alright, I guess. The ward doesn't stop the nightmares completely, but it makes them much easier to deal with." Harry hesitated before asking his question. "What about you? I know you said you have them sometimes too."

"I've been okay. Thank you for asking." The truth was that she missed sleeping with him, though she wasn't going to say that out loud. It had been so long since she'd shared her bed with someone else that she'd forgotten how much she enjoyed it. She even had a pretty bad nightmare of losing him last night that had her watching him even more than usual to remind herself that he was still alive. "You'll let me know if they start getting worse again, yes?"

"Yeah, I promise. Umm… you can tell me if yours get bad, too." Harry sensed that she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but let it go for the moment. After all, he wasn't doing as well as he claimed either. Instead, he changed the subject. "How do you think Dumbledore's going to react when he sees us?"

"He'll likely try to take control of everything before being shot down by Ripclaw. Thankfully we'll have a reason to leave early. Goblins really are helpful when you treat them with respect."

"Too bad most are too prejudiced to realize that."

Minerva nodded her head in agreement. "So, with that taken care of, all you have to do is remember what we decided earlier. If he tries to get you to meet with him, you tell him when you're available and leave it at that."

"I just hope I don't lose my temper with him."

Minerva scoffed at that. "I'm more worried about me losing my temper and strangling him with his own beard!" The cold anger in her tone amplified her words.

Harry looked at her warily. "Remind me not to get you that angry with me. Ever. Compared to you, Riddle's no worse than Malfoy."

"If only the world knew that my ire is your greatest fear," Minerva joked as she shook her head at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"They'd say I'm a wise man," Harry replied sagely. "Seriously though, I'm sure you'll make it through without hurting him, no matter how much he deserves it. All you have to think about is what would happen to the students if you weren't there to protect them."

"I suppose so."

A mischievous smirk appeared on Harry's face at the thought that just passed through his head. "Then again, if we do lose our tempers, we could always take over the school and kick Dumbledore, Snape, and Filch out of it."

"I think your rebelliousness is starting to rub off on me because that idea sounds entirely too tempting."

"Welcome to the Gray side of the Force Minerva."

"I should have never watched Star Wars with you."

"It's a great trilogy and you know it."

"If you say so."

"You know you liked the movies just as much as I did."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that."

"Why can't you just admit I'm right?"

"Where's the fun in that?" The smirk on Minerva's face had Harry's thoughts traveling in an inappropriate direction and it took all of his Occlumency training to prevent that from becoming noticeable.

Once Harry regained control of his thoughts, the two of them joked around for the rest of the time they had to wait. Minerva did it to cheer Harry up and keep his mind off of Sirius's death. When Ripclaw returned to the room, it was to the sound of their laughter.

"The others have arrived so whenever you're ready, we can begin," the goblin announced.

Harry and Minerva strengthened their mental shields and fixed their expressions to reflect the seriousness of the occasion before Harry nodded for Ripclaw to start. Minerva also made sure to glamour Harry's scar from Greyback, to avoid arousing suspicion for now. The door opened again a moment later as everyone began to file into the room. The group consisted of the Weasley parents, the twins, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Remus, Dumbledore, the Tonks women, Mrs. Malfoy, and Draco. Tonks winked at Harry as she sat down across from him, making him smirk for a moment. Dumbledore looked pointedly at Minerva in an attempt to sit down by Harry but received only a stoic expression in return. Silent request refused, he made do with sitting beside Andromeda on the opposite side of them, causing the woman to look annoyed for a fleeting moment. Remus also tried to get Harry's attention, but was completely ignored.

Fudge tried to come into the room as well but was barred by the goblin guard standing at the door. The minister tried to protest, but he was ignored.

Ripclaw turned to Harry, his tone formal. "As the main beneficiary, you have the right to decide if those who are not listed in the Will can attend."

"Tell him he's not invited," Harry replied calmly.

"Now see here…" is all Fudge managed to get out before the door was shut in his face. They could hear him arguing with the guards for a moment until they got too far away.

"Well, let's begin then," Ripclaw stated as he sat down at the head of the table. Before Dumbledore could interrupt him, the goblin pressed on. "Now, as you all know, you are here to witness the reading of Sirius Orion Black's Will. He prepared a recorded message for the occasion so I will play it now."

Ripclaw touched his finger to the black square object that was on the table in front of him. After a few seconds, a ghostly image of Sirius appeared out of it and began speaking.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind, body, and magic, do hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. All other Wills made before this day are now canceled and revoked. This Will expresses my wishes and desires without undue influence or duress. Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, I can get to the fun part. Giving my family's stuff away to the kind of people most of them detested.

First, to Molly and Arthur, I give you 50,000 galleons. Thank you for welcoming Harry into your family and taking care of him like one of your own.

To Gred and Forge, as Harry calls you, I give you 30,000 galleons. Thank you for looking out for Harry as surrogate big brothers and teaching the fine art of mischief when I couldn't. Use this money to start your store and make it the big success I know it will be to bring more laughter into a world that desperately needs it.

To Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, I give you three 15,000 galleons each. Thank you for being such good friends to Harry. Merlin knows he needed it. I just ask that you continue to stand beside him for the dangers still ahead. I also give Hermione a collection of ancient books that my family had. Don't worry, none of them are dangerous, but they're filled with plenty of knowledge that I'm sure you'll appreciate.

To Remus Lupin, I give you 20,000 galleons. I'm sorry I left you too mate, but I'm ordering you to take care of yourself. Also, don't forget the promise we made James and Lily. Look out for him like we swore we would do.

To Andy and Dora, I give you each 50,000 galleons and formally bring you back into the family with all the rights and privileges that entails. I only hope that you will be the family Harry needs and help guide him to reach his potential and survive this war.

To Minerva, I give you all of the ancient Transfiguration texts my family had as well as 10,000 galleons to make up for all of the chaos I caused you. Take care of him for me.

Now for Narcissa and Draco, I give you a proposition. If you renounce your pureblood ways and stop following a certain dark lord, I offer you a safe place to live and a vault to help you survive. If not, then you get nothing.

As for Albus, I want you to leave Harry alone and let him live his life. You've already ruined enough of it.

Finally, to Harry, my wonderful godson, I leave you everything else. I've already written down most of what I wanted to say to you, but I want to give you one last piece of advice: Tell her how you feel. She deserves to know and you both deserve to be happy.

You have watched listened to the Will of Sirius Black. So mote it be."

They all sat in silence for a moment as they took in what they'd heard. Draco was the one who broke it.

"I object to being given nothing! I'm supposed to be Lord Black!" Narcissa grabbed his shoulder before he could rise from his seat.

"Not now Draco," she whispered harshly into his ear.

"Unfortunately for you, that position is already filled," Ripclaw corrected. "Unless the current Lord Black would like to relinquish that position, you have no claim to it." He turned toward Harry expectantly.

"Not happening," Harry simply replied.

Knowing that now wasn't the best time to make a scene, Narcissa led her son out of the room before he did something both would regret. It didn't stop the boy from yelling out threats and insults as he was dragged away. Harry only smirked in response, while Ron and the twins laughed heartily.

"That was great Harry," Ron said between laughs.

"Yes, very amusing," Ripclaw agreed, before focusing back onto the meeting. "Now for the rest of you that have been bequeathed something, these forms will tell you how to retrieve it from the vaults that were created for you."

As Ripclaw handed those out Dumbledore turned to speak to Harry. "Harry, where have you been staying and why did you think it was ok for you to leave your family when you know of the defenses erected around your home to protect all of you."

Harry mentally took a deep breath before responding. "First, you have lost the right to call me Harry, so it's Lord Black or Mr. Potter to you. Second, don't call those people my family because they're not. Third, that place has never been and will never be my home. Fourth, they've never cared about my safety so why should I care about theirs? Fifth, I'm much safer where I am now than I ever was there. And finally, I don't have to answer your questions because I'm no longer under your control. I'm emancipated and well within my rights to make my own decisions, whether you like it or not." Those not in the know looked at Harry in shock while the others wore self-satisfied smirks. Dumbledore missed these expressions except for the one on Minerva's face.

Dumbledore ignored that for the moment. "Harry, you will come with so I can take you back to the Dursleys where you belong. And we will talk about your disappointing and reckless behavior."

"No, he won't," Minerva interjected before Harry could respond.

"Minerva, did you know where Harry was all this time?" Dumbledore snapped.

"Not at first, but yes. And before you ask, I didn't tell you because he asked me not to and you've given me no reason to trust you with that information anyway."

"Look," Harry cut in before Dumbledore could speak, "if you want to talk to me, I'll be available tomorrow evening, but not before then, and it has to be in a neutral location. You can send me a letter with the details and as long as you stick to my terms, I'll show up.

Ripclaw, who had finished passing out the forms, realized it was time to cut in. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Harry and I have some more matters to attend to in private."

Harry mentally thanked the goblin. "Now as you've heard need to speak with Ragnok. I hope you all have a good day, but I must be going."

"Right this way Harry," Ripclaw said as he began to walk out of the room. Harry and Minerva got up and followed him out.

"Minerva, where are you going?" Dumbledore asked irately before they had reached the door.

Said witch spun around on her heel and fixed him with a steely glare. "I've been asked by his godfather to take care of him and I intend to do so, regardless of your feelings on the matter." Then she and Harry continued to walk out the door, slamming it firmly once outside. They could just hear the sound of Molly questioning Dumbledore as they walked down the hallway.

Once inside Ripclaw's office, Harry thanked the goblin for his assistance.

"Hey Minerva, do we have time to visit the Potter vault before I take my apparition test?" Harry asked.

"I don't see why not, as long as it's a short visit," Minerva replied.

"I will send for someone to escort you," Ripclaw said as he reached for a button on the side of his desk. A minute later, a young goblin arrived. They said their goodbyes before following him out. After a much longer cart ride than Harry or Minerva were used to, they were standing in front of the Potter vault. Their escort waited outside after telling Harry how to give Minerva permission to enter.

The vault was pretty big inside and Harry was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff it contained for a moment until Minerva explained that it was likely things his family had collected over the centuries. The two of them walked around for about five minutes before Harry was drawn to the jewelry of all things and Minerva the books. He told her that she could have any book she wanted before heading in his own direction. There were several pieces of priceless items, but he was drawn specifically to the necklaces. As he looked at them, Sirius's words echoed in his mind and he couldn't help glancing back at Minerva for a second. He examined them more closely but didn't see one that truly called to him. Then he noticed some lumps of raw gold and silver to the side. Moving closer, he picked up the note that was beside them which explained that the materials could be used for custom-made jewelry that was easy to enchant. The metals themselves were imbued with Potter family magic to offer some basic protections.

Harry turned to watch Minerva again for a few moments as he thought through the turmoil in his mind. Unable to convince himself otherwise, he grabbed two lumps of the silver and slipped it into his pocket. Then he walked over to her, trying to avoid looking suspicious.

"See anything you like?" he asked her when she didn't notice him after a few seconds.

Minerva turned around, shocked that he was standing behind her. "Umm… yes. There are a few here that have caught my interest."

"Then take them." Harry held up his hand. "No protests from you Minerva. I said you could have any book you wanted, and I meant it. You know I likely won't read them and there's no point in them going to waste and collecting dust inside this vault. Not when someone I trust wants to read them. Besides, giving you a few books is nothing compared to all you've done for me. Teaching me in secret, even though I know for a fact you're not really a fan of secrets. Visiting me at the Dursleys, during your Order shifts. Taking me shopping so I could have clothes that actually fit me. Getting me to enjoy life more instead of focusing on the negatives. And taking care of me, even after I pushed you away. I wouldn't be alive or sane if it weren't for you. So please, take them."

She was touched by his open and honest words and replied in a soft voice. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry gave her a soft smile that made her heart flutter a bit. "You're welcome, Minerva."

For almost a whole minute, they gazed into each other's eyes and unconsciously drifted closer to before coming to their senses. The two lumps of silver in Harry's pocket felt a bit heavier and his mouth was dry as he spoke up again. "I'm done looking around for the moment so we can go if you're ready."

Minerva, who was just as affected by the moment, grabbed the three books that had caught her interest before telling him she was ready. The ride back to the main atrium of the bank was silent as both contemplated the effect their exchange had on them.

It was half an hour later when Harry and Minerva returned to Black Manor, Harry's apparition license in tow. He had passed the test with flying colors, something Minerva was very proud of even though she had expected it. Susan, Tonks, and Andromeda congratulated him as well as they all sat in the kitchen to have lunch. The rest of the day was mostly uneventful. Minerva had Winky prepare some treacle tart for dessert to celebrate Harry's success at dinner with everyone else. Harry and Minerva were a bit distracted for the rest of the day, though since their thoughts kept straying back to their moment in the vault, even though they tried to push it to the back of their minds.

\- H.M. –

The next day, Minerva's friend Matthew arrived right before lunch time. She had to go back to her home to retrieve him and give him access to the manor.

After talking to the man for a few minutes, Harry decided that he definitely liked him. Matthew just had that easy-going personality that was hard to dislike. After getting to know each other more and eating lunch, Matthew began explaining the natural animagus process in a little more detail, making sure Harry understood what he was about to undertake.

"Alright, while I'm sure Minerva here has already explained how the process will go, so I'll just make sure you understand exactly what will happen."

"Go ahead," Harry replied, gesturing for Matthew to continue.

"Okay, so starting tonight, you will be taking the potion that will give you the visions as you sleep. You'll have to take them at around the same time every night, though it won't put you instantly to sleep. The visions themselves will consume your mind the entire night, so you won't have any dreams or nightmares and will feel very well rested in the morning."

"Will I still be able to wake up early? We train at 4 in the morning."

"Yes, as long as you set an alarm, your body will wake up like normal."

"Good. I'm liking the sound of this process even more."

Matthew laughed with Harry for a moment before continuing. "Yes, it definitely has its benefits. Anyway, these visions are designed to teach you all about your animal form, so pay close attention to them. It helps to write about them every morning when you first wake up, so you don't forget what you learned. Then, on the day of the transformation, you will take a different potion that will force you to change. This won't hurt, but it will feel very disorienting. After that, you'll be stuck in your form for twelve hours as you get accustomed to it. Minerva and I will be with you in our own animagus forms the entire time to keep watch over you. It's also probably best that all of us get plenty of rest during the day of so we'll have enough energy for the night."

"In my animal form, will I try to hurt you? I can guess that I won't be able to control my animal instincts at all for my first transformation and my animal might be a predator to yours. I don't want you guys helping me if it puts you into danger."

Harry had just increased his esteem in Matthew's eyes at his show of genuine concern. "You are correct that you won't be able to control your instincts, but as animagi, Minerva and I will not register as a threat or prey to you. Even in your first transformation, you will be able to recognize us as animagi and won't attack us, especially since you already know us."

"Okay good. Will the transformation tire me out any?"

"Yes, it will, so I'll need you to avoid using magic for 24 hours after it unless necessary. You can work on using your form after you've gotten enough rest. I'm sure Minerva will make sure you get rest even if you don't, though."

Harry chuckled at that. "That's an understatement. That woman can be scary when she wants to be."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Thankfully not really aimed at me, but I've definitely seen enough of her dangerous side to know not to get on it."

"Wise words that."

\- H.M. –

After seeing how well Harry and Matthew were getting along, Minerva left them alone for a few hours. She knew how much Harry needed a male role model in his life, especially after losing Sirius, and Matthew was a good candidate for that position. He was intelligent, kind, patient, and had a good sense of humor. He also knew how to deal with someone who's had a rough life growing up, something that described his own childhood. So, she retreated to the living room to read one of the books she'd gotten from the Potter vault.

The two wizards made their way to the training room after talking for a bit longer. Matthew, wanting to see how good Harry was for himself, challenged the young wizard to a duel. After the first one ended with his defeat, Matthew realized that Minerva might have understated how talented Harry was. Not only was the he fast and athletic, but he could think on his feet quicker than anyone he's ever seen. And that wasn't even counting just how predictable he was. They dueled four more times, with both winning half of them.

"Man Ace, Minerva wasn't kidding about you. You really are something else," Matthew exclaimed as they walked toward the living room. He had given Harry the nickname in between duels after seeing how well Harry fought.

"I've been fighting to survive my whole life. Plus, I had a really good teacher," Harry replied modestly.

"That is very true." Matthew stopped to stretch his back, groaning as the aching muscles popped. "I haven't worked that hard in a fight in a long time."

Harry glanced at him, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Really? I'm not feeling tired at all. Maybe you should stay here awhile and work on your endurance so you can keep up with me, old man."

"Old man! Don't get cocky Ace. I'll have you know I've been dueling since before you were even thought of."

"My point exactly."

After a second, they burst out laughing and Matthew threw his arm around Harry's shoulders. They started talking about their duels in more details, with Matthew giving Harry some pointers on things he could improve on to be even better than he already was.

When the two of them entered the living room joking and laughing, Minerva, who had been reading quietly on the sofa, had to pause and watch them for a moment. It warmed her heart to see Harry so happy and carefree. Merlin knows he needs more of it in his life. She made a mental note to ask Matthew if he was willing to stay for a bit longer before addressing them.

"What have you two been up to?" she asked, her eyebrow raised at their disheveled appearance.

"Oh, I was just showing this old-timer how it's done in the training room," Harry claimed, puffing out his chest dramatically.

"How many times did he beat you?" Minerva asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Three out of five! And thanks for the warning Minerva. You said he was good, but you didn't mention he was a prodigy!"

"I told you he was good enough to pass his NEWTs in Defense and Transfiguration. What did you think that meant?" Minerva asked.

"Not this. If he duels the proctor, he could probably get his mastery in Defense automatically," Matthew insisted.

"I don't think I'm that good," Harry mumbled.

"You are Harry, just accept it," Minerva asserted.

Harry shook his head at them, not seeing why they were making such a big deal about him. He was only that good because he had to be to stay alive if you ask him. "If you say so. I'm going to take a shower."

"He doesn't take compliments well, does he?" Matthew queried after Harry had left.

Minerva shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, not. Most of his life he's been told he's worthless, so it's hard for him to accept that he isn't. I try to convince him otherwise, but I'm only partially successful."

"Poor kid. He really is deserving of the praise. The two times I did manage to best him, it was a close thing. Honestly, in a real-world situation, I don't think I'd stand a chance."

"Don't feel too bad. He would probably give me hard time at this point."

"You haven't dueled him before?"

"Not recently. I've been too busy teaching him as many spells and tactics as I can lately. Plus, he's been working on developing his elemental skills and studying for the tests. And that's not including everything else that's been going on."

"You should rectify that situation soon and when I'm there to witness it. That'll definitely be something to watch." Matthew went quiet for a moment before becoming serious. "After what you've told me and meeting Harry, I think I'm going to stay for a while, if you don't mind. I want to help you both."

Minerva smiled knowingly. "He managed to charm you too, then?"

"Yes, that young man is something special. I don't even know most of his story, yet I can see how amazing it is that he's still such a good person despite all of the evil he's seen and experienced. If I can help make his future better than his past seems to have been, then I'm going to do it. He deserves it, much more than most."

"Thank you, Matthew. We're glad to have you."

\- H.M. –

Sadly, Dumbledore actually took Harry's advice and asked him to meet at the Burrow in the evening. So, after an early dinner, Harry and Minerva apparated over there, separately now that Harry had his own license. They were greeted at the door by Ron and Ginny.

"Dumbledore's in the kitchen waiting for you," Ginny informed them once the guests were inside and the door closed.

"Yeah and he brought our greasy git of a Potions professor with him," Ron added, disgust in his tone.

"Of course, he had to bring him with him," Harry complained. "If I had known that beforehand, I might not have come."

"At least you don't have to deal with him in your house for every Order meeting," Ron pointed out.

Harry nodded in commiseration. "Sorry about that guys. I'd let them come back to the old headquarters, but I don't want people I don't trust to be able to stroll in and out of my home."

"Especially seeing as we're currently using it as our own headquarters," Minerva remarked

"Plus, Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher didn't do all of that hard work for it to be wasted on the Order," Harry added, only half-jokingly.

"Don't worry Harry, we understand," Ginny replied.

"Though, if you want to get us a nice Christmas present, we won't object," Ron quipped.

Ginny and Minerva shook their heads at him while Harry chuckled lightly.

"Come on Ron. You know we have to get upstairs before Mum yells at us for being nosey," Ginny stated as she pulled him away from the door.

"Fine, but make sure to tell us all about what happened later," Ron said as he was dragged away.

Once the two youngest Weasleys were out of sight, Harry let out a breath of frustration. "That manipulative bastard just had to bring _him_ here. If he thought it was going to be hard to get answers from me before, he just made it even worse for himself. I refuse to let that death eater learn anything useful about what I've been doing and where I've been staying."

"Center yourself Harry," Minerva instructed urgently, her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Snape being here is Dumbledore's attempt to make you lose your control. Do not let it work."

Harry took a deep cleansing breath. "You're right, though I can't promise that I'll just ignore all the insults he'll throw at me."

"I'm not asking you to, nor would I expect it of you. I know that I won't. I'm simply saying you need to keep your composure."

Harry took a few calming breaths, making sure that his Occlumency shields were in place. "Alright, let's go deal with them before I change my mind."

The two of them walked to the kitchen with their shoulders squared, greeting Molly and Arthur politely before entering the room. Dumbledore sat on one side of the table, with Snape standing behind him on his left. The two glanced at the wizards before sitting on the opposite side of the table. Harry sat forward with his arms folded on the table while Minerva sat back with hers folded across her chest, both with challenging expressions on their faces. A silence enveloped the room as the two men tried to intimidate them with their mere presence. It failed.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Harry, though I didn't ask for Minerva to attend as well," Dumbledore greeted, quirking an eyebrow at the witch.

"First, it's Mr. Potter to you and if you keep on insisting on calling me by my first name, then this meeting will be over," Harry replied, his tone calm. "Second, she is here because I asked her to come with me. I could ask the same of Snape, but I don't really want to get into that argument right now."

"It's Professor Snape to you. It's time that you learn to respect your betters, boy," Snape cut in contemptuously.

Harry scoffed at him. "When you decide to act like a professor and actually teach your classes, then I'll call you one. As for respecting my betters, I only give respect to those who have either earned it from me or given me no reason to not respect them. You've done neither."

"That attitude proves you are nothing more than an immature little boy. You cannot blame me for your failure in my subject. That is due to your incompetence and refusal to pay attention."

Harry barely managed to stop himself from retorting angrily. Instead he replied with a dismissive remark. "Correcting you is not worth my time right now." Then before Snape could respond, he changed the subject. "Anyway, I think we should focus on the reason for this meeting so we can get it over with. I'd rather not spend any more time in either of your presences any longer than I have to. Ask your questions Dumbledore, though I can't promise I'll give you the answers you want. Especially since you brought _him_ with you."

Dumbledore fixed his expression into his grandfatherly persona before responding, making Harry and Minerva roll their eyes at him in their heads. "Ha… Mr. Potter, you must tell me where you've been since school let out."

"No, I don't. All you need to know is that I am safer there than I've ever been at the Dursleys," Harry replied simply.

"That is not good enough. It was a very reckless and selfish decision you made to run away from your home and leave your family defenseless."

"I told you yesterday to stop calling that place my home and those _people_ my family, because it's not true. As for being reckless and selfish, that's your opinion. I did what I had to do for my own sanity, something I care about even if you don't."

"Just as arrogant and self-centered as your father," Snape muttered aloud. "What did the muggles do, not fix your breakfast the way you wanted.

Harry glared at the spiteful man his tone cold. "No, they've never made me breakfast at all. Or lunch. Or dinner. So, forgive me for not really caring what happens to them one way or the other.

"Do you really care nothing for them, after they took you into their home."

"Those people only took me in because you dumped me on their doorstep and forced them to do so. I owe them nothing. If you care so much about what happens to them, then you can tell them to move."

"You and your relatives may disagree, but it still is the safest place for you to stay. The wards I was able to erect around the property based on your mother's sacrifice ensure that."

"It didn't protect me from the danger inside the house."

"Regardless, if you will not tell me where you are currently, then I cannot allow you to remain there. Not when I'm unable reach you. Therefore, you will have to return to the Dursleys, and I will talk to them to make sure they treat you better."

Minerva, her hands clenched in anger at Dumbledore's dismissal of the Dursleys abuse, shared a glance with Harry before speaking up. "If you must know, he's been staying with me for the past three weeks. Unless you don't think I'm capable of protecting him, that answer should suffice." Dumbledore still wasn't able to reach Harry there either, but that was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

Dumbledore turned his attention on Minerva. "Why didn't you tell me you knew where he was. The Order has been looking all over for him, yet you remained silent."

"I told you to stop looking for him, but you didn't listen. That is not my fault," Minerva dismissed.

"How could I, when you gave us no reason not to? You didn't tell us that you knew where he was."

"I told you that if Voldemort had no idea where he was, then he had to be in a safe place and to give him time to come to terms with everything that had happened to him. When he did reach out to me, I did what was in Harry's best interest, something you don't seem to understand."

"It is in Harry's best interest that he remains at the Dursleys home where I and the Order can guard him. When you found him, you should have brought him back there."

"I will not force anyone to go back to an abusive environment. And that's not even counting the fact that he just lost his godfather and should be with people who care about him to help him heal."

"It may seem harsh, but it is for the Greater Good, Minerva."

Harry scoffed at that answer. "And there we go. Your go-to answer to explain all of your decisions, good or bad. Well guess what, I don't care too much for your so-called greater good, not when it's used to justify you allowing me to be abused for years. Not when it's used to justify you failing or refusing to protect the students of Hogwarts from dangerous threats, instead luring me and my friends to deal with it. Not when it's used to justify you ruining other's lives to avoid anyone being able to disrupt your plans. Not when it's used to justify you treating me like a pawn and a weapon instead of a human being."

"You are obviously too young and immature to understand that great sacrifice is sometimes needed to save the world," Dumbledore said patronizingly.

"I think I understand sacrifice better than you do. After all, you're always talking about it and its importance, yet I seem to be the one sacrificing the most for this world right now. I've given up my childhood, my innocence, and my freedom. How much have you given?"

"I have had to make many hard decisions to ensure the safety of this world." Dumbledore's tone was self-righteous as he sat up straighter in his chair.

"Yet Harry is the one who bears the majority of the weight of those choices. Not you," Minerva countered, heat in her tone. "You talk about making all of these sacrifices, yet you're not the one who suffers for them. Innocent people, especially Harry, do."

"Of course, you would take up for that spoiled, brat," Snape spat. "You seem incapable of seeing who he really is, just like you couldn't see his father or Black for who they were."

Minerva turned her ire on the unpleasant man. "Coming from the man who can't get over a grudge he has with a man that has been dead for almost fourteen years!" Her voice got a bit louder at the end. "The sad part is, is that Harry isn't a carbon copy of his father, like you've convinced yourself of. His personality, and his heart especially, is much more like his mother's. You're just too blinded by your rage to see it."

"He is nothing like Lily!" Snape denied.

Minerva glared at him. "He is a lot like Lily, and she would incensed at how you have treated her son over the years. If she were still alive you would be facing her full wrath for your actions."

"Enough!" Dumbledore shouted, before wands could be drawn. The grandfatherly persona was completely gone now, as anger shown clearly on his face. "I'm am very disappointed in both of you. Harry, you never should have allowed yourself to become emancipated as it is clear you cannot handle the responsibilities that come with being an adult. Your recent actions were selfish and rash. Running away proves that you are still no more than a child, despite all you've been through. You also refuse to see reason or listen to the advice of those with more wisdom and experience than you."

Dumbledore addressed Minerva next. "As for you, Minerva, it seems that you have become too close to the boy, and it is clouding your judgement. You have allowed your affection for him to cause you to make dangerous decisions, based on emotion instead of logic. If you refuse to stand down, I will have no choice but to limit your interactions with him."

"How are you going to stop us?" Harry asked dangerously. He and Minerva had tensed up at Dumbledore's words, anger increasing with every syllable he uttered.

Dumbledore stood up, his posture straight and imposing as he tried to intimidate them into compliance. "For you Harry, I will have to bring you back to the Dursleys, by force if necessary, where you will remain under guard until it is time for you to return back to school. I cannot allow your immature and selfish desires ruin our efforts in this war. As for you Minerva, if you will not stand aside, I will be forced to relieve you of your duties at Hogwarts. I cannot have someone who is willing to put their feelings ahead of the safety of the students in charge of their care. I'm sorry if this upsets you both, but it is for your own good."

All four of them were standing now, with their wands drawn on each other.

"How dare you accuse me of the exact thing you've been doing for the past five years if not longer! And you have completely lost your mind if you think I will stand aside as you attempt to kidnap and imprison him!" Minerva declared. Her voice was filled with cold fury and indignation. "Consider this my resignation from the Order. I will not be part of a group that is led by a man who condones this."

"And if you try to fire her, I'm leaving with her," Harry added in the same tone. "So, you need to decide if this is the route you want to go on. Because if you try to kidnap me, I won't hesitate to treat you like an enemy."

"Neither will I," Minerva asserted.

"Empty words Potter. You are too weak to attack us," Snape sneered.

"I can assure you he is not. I'd advise you to get over yourself and see him for who he truly is before you regret it," Minerva warned ominously.

"She's right, you know. I've had quite the interesting summer so far. Want to see what new skills I've learned _firsthand_?" Harry taunted.

"So, this is what it's come to," Dumbledore said sadly as he held his hand up to stop Snape from responding.

"This is what you've caused," Harry corrected. "Your actions and the decisions you've made concerning me have led to this and pushed me to my breaking point. Riddle may have murdered my parents, but you stole my childhood and my innocence from me by leaving me with the Dursleys with no one to help me. You've continued to see me only as a weapon, with no feelings or desires of my own, using me when you need me and throwing me away when you don't. Did you really think I was going to accept that treatment forever? Did you think I wouldn't retaliate and take control of my life at some point?"

"I have always only done what was best for you and your safety," Dumbledore tried.

"No, you haven't. But it doesn't matter anymore, because from now on, I will make my _own_ decisions and fight this war the way I see fit, whether you like it or not," Harry stated.

"You are truly delusional if you think you stand any chance against the Dark Lord," Snape scorned.

"I know he does, and he won't be on his own," Minerva defended.

"You have a decision to make then. Either stand down or be prepared to fight because I will no longer allow anyone to use or control me. No matter who they are," Harry declared.

Before Dumbledore could respond, Molly and Arthur burst into the room, having heard the raised voices and felt the ominous atmosphere in the air.

"What is going on here?!" Molly shrieked in distress, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Why do you all have your wands drawn?" Arthur asked as he put his arm around his wife.

Seeing that he could no longer enact his plans, Dumbledore fixed a contrite expression unto his face and spoke in a mournful tone. "I see that I need to rethink my treatment of you since you feel this way, Mr. Potter. I never intended to cause you so much grief, but it seems that I have. If you are staying with Minerva, then I am at least assured of your safety. I will endeavor to treat you differently from now on." Dumbledore gestured for Snape to follow him before they both left the room reluctantly.

Harry and Minerva didn't drop their guard until they heard the sound of the floo being used. Molly who was still trying to get over her surprise, turned to them, confusion written clearly on her face. "Harry, what is going on between you and Albus? Why were the four of you about to fight?"

Harry sighed, not wanting to upset her or Arthur any further but also not wanting to lie to them. "It's a long story Mrs. Weasley, but the short of it is that I've decided to make my own decisions for my life and Dumbledore has a problem with it. I'm sorry for causing you any worry and distress, now and with my disappearance, but I have to make the choices that are best for me right now."

Minerva spoke up next, seeing the questions in their eyes. "I know you're very confused right now, but I want you to do something before you ask anything else. I want you to objectively look back at the many decisions Dumbledore has made and the results of them. Then ask yourself who he really is. It will be hard to come to terms with, but it is important that you do so."

Arthur, seeing how serious the two of the were, nodded in acceptance. "Okay Minerva, we will try our best to do that."

After that, the two of them left the Burrow, leaving behind two very confused and scared people. Once they were outside of the wards, Harry turned to face Minerva. "I don't trust him. This argument isn't over."

"Neither do I, but at least he will leave us alone for the moment," Minerva pointed out. "For now, we will take advantage of the break."

"You're right," Harry agreed. Then he surprised both of them by pulling the woman into a hug, holding her tightly. "Thank you for standing up for me back there. I… I really appreciate it."

Minerva pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. "I promised you I would do everything within my power to help you and I meant it. That includes preventing self-righteous, egotistic, manipulative, old men from kidnapping you." She ran her hand through his hair gently. "I'm on your side Harry. Never doubt that."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, unable to voice how much that meant to him, though Minerva could see it in his eyes. Then they pulled away from each other and apparated back to Black Manor.

\- H.M. –

When the two of them arrived in the manor, everyone was sitting in the living room waiting for them in a tense silence.

"So, how did it go? What did he say? What did he do?" Tonks asked impatiently, not giving them time to sit down.

"Give them a chance to breath first, Dora," Andromeda chastised. The group laughed at their exchange for a moment, breaking the tension in the room.

Harry and Minerva sat down in the empty space of a sofa by Amelia and Matthew before they began explaining everything that had happened. By the time they were finished, not one person wasn't filled with righteous anger.

"I don't know if we can let him keep his post as Headmaster any longer," Amelia observed.

"It might be too dangerous for all of the students," Andromeda agreed. Everyone else voiced their agreement.

"But how will we do it?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, too many people look up to him and believe he can do no wrong," Charlie pointed out.

"True, but Harry here has just as much, if not more, influence as well," Tonks said.

"There are also many more families than you'd realize who have grievances with him and the decisions he's made. Some are tired of him acting like he wants to make change, when in reality he does very little to improve things in our country," Hestia explained.

"Even with all of that, it will still be hard to get him removed," Harry said.

They thought on that for a moment before Fleur came up with an idea. "What if you went directly to ze board of directors of ze school? Maybe you could convince zem zat Dumbledore is not fit to be ze Headmaster any longer."

"That might work," Amelia said after mulling it over for a second.

"We would have to make a very convincing case for this to work," Andromeda noted.

"And we would have to be prepared to fill any positions that would be lost. They aren't going to want to have to do that themselves," Minera added.

"Well, you could be the headmistress. After all, you're the deputy already," Harry declared. "Then we would just have to find professors for Transfiguration, Defense, and Potions because we are definitely not letting Snape stay either."

"History of Magic as well," Minerva said. "It's time we had someone alive teaching that class."

"If you can't find anyone else, I don't mind teaching Transfiguration," Matthew offered.

"I could teach History as well," Andromeda suggested. "At least it would be more accurate and inclusive. I was planning on taking a break from my practice anyway with everything that's going on."

"What about Defense?" Harry said, causing everyone to look at him pointedly. "Not this again."

"As future headmistress, I doubt I could find anyone better suited for that position and definitely not someone I trust more than you to do it," Minerva insisted. "But if the thought overwhelms you too much, then either Dora or Hestia could help you so you're not doing it alone."

Harry shook his head. "No… I'll do it. Just be prepared for me asking you for help often until I figure it all out." If Minerva had that much faith in him, then he had to trust her judgement.

"My door will always be open to you if you need me," Minerva replied. Harry nodded in thanks.

"And you can always ask Hermione to help you with organizing your lesson plans," Susan stated. Harry and those who knew Hermione well enough laughed in agreement.

"Now you just need a Potions professor," Fleur said.

"I might be able to convince Samena to do it, if I ask her," Minerva proposed.

"Well, sounds like you have everything you need," Charlie summed up. "Now we just have to put together a very convincing argument."

"Operation Takeover Magical Britain, or TOMB for short begins," Tonks exclaimed gleefully, rubbing her hands together dramatically.

"Ze whole magical Britain?" Fleur asked in confusion.

"Well, we already plan on having Fudge kicked out of office and Boss here elected as Minister of Magic. Now we're going to have Dumbledore removed and replaced by Minerva. That means we'll be in charge of the Ministry and Hogwarts, which are the two most powerful places in Magical Britain," Tonks explained.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Operation TOMB it is then."


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Some plans are starting to come to fruition in this chapter. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 13

It was July 30th, the night of the full moon and almost time for Harry, Minerva, and Matthew to head over to Minerva's house where they would be for the transformation. Through the potion visions he'd taken for the past 6 days, Harry had learned his animagus form was a Grey wolf. Curious about whether his encounter with Greyback had influenced this, he asked Matthew about it who confirmed that it was highly likely. Harry was fine with that though because wolves happened to be his favorite animal anyway.

Like Matthew suggested, Harry wrote down what he saw and learned from his visions every morning. The more he learned, the more he got excited about becoming an animagus. Wolves were even cooler than he realized. They were very intelligent, fast, and had a lot of stamina. They could adapt to extreme climates when necessary. They were also friendly and family-oriented within their packs. Overall, he was more than satisfied with his animal. Even Minerva, who teased him for not being a cat, which she claimed were superior, couldn't help but think that being a wolf fit his personality.

As Harry got himself mentally prepared for the experience, he reflected on everything that had happened since his and Minerva's argument with Dumbledore and Snape.

\- H.M. –

At the end of the next day's training session, Harry and Minerva informed the others about what had occurred. All of them were furious at Dumbledore and Snape's attempt to kidnap and imprison Harry, shocked that the man would go so far to control him. They readily agreed with the plans that had been made so far and pledged their assistance in any way they could. After further discussion, it was decided that they would all need to spend more time together, so arrangements were made to make it possible for those who were underage to come over during the day.

The twins managed to convince their mum to let Ron and Ginny help out at the shop to get them out of the house without rousing suspicion. Molly was nervous about her two youngest being away from home. Ultimately, she trusted the twins to keep them safe though. She and her husband were also starting to realize that all wasn't as it seemed concerning Dumbledore and the Order and were taking the time to figure out what to do about it. The more they thought back on all of the man's actions, the more they agreed with Harry and Minerva.

Amelia went with Neville to convince his grandmother to let him spend his days at Black Manor training. They also told her a bit about their grievances with Dumbledore, though they didn't give away too many details. When Madame Longbottom asked Neville why he wanted to fight in the war by Harry's side, he gave her two reasons. One, that he was sure Harry was the only one capable of stopping Voldemort for good. Two, that he made a promise to stick by Harry's side and as a Longbottom, it wasn't in his blood to go back on a promise. Madame Longbottom was so proud of Neville in that moment that she pulled him into a warm hug, a rare occurrence, and gave him her full support.

Hermione's parents were a lot harder to convince, however. They had been very upset when they found out their daughter had been injured and almost killed at the end of the school year and were set on taking her out of the country for her safety. Harry and Minerva vowed to protect her as best as they could but were forced to acknowledge that the war wasn't safe. The Granger's fears were so great that it almost had Harry agreeing with their desire to take Hermione as far away from Britain as possible. However, Hermione managed to win them over after much discussion. She pointed out that Harry needed her help and they would be forcing her to break her promise if they took her away. She also explained how it would be better for her to learn how to better protect herself than to run away. In the end, the Grangers agreed to let Hermione stay at Black Manor for the rest of the summer after Minerva assured them of its safety. Harry also offered to have their home warded to keep them safe as well, something they readily agreed to and that had Hermione hugging him tightly for his thoughtfulness.

Luna's father was by far the easiest to convince and she needed no help to get him to agree, though Charlie went just in case. In fact, he offered to let her stay at the manor on his own after Luna told him who all would be there. He figured she would be safer within the manor's wards and around so many qualified magicals than with him alone.

With the group all having more time together, things changed a bit. They still trained in the morning, but the structure of it was different. Two hours were spent on physical conditioning while they worked on Occlumency for the last hour. Since everyone was in much better shape after all of their exercising, Harry, with the aurors and Minerva's help, started teaching them unarmed combat. This was to give them the ability to keep fighting even if they lost their wand, something he knew the Death Eaters would be unprepared for.

The magical training, on the other hand, was done during the day in the training room of the manor. With more time, the trainees were taught even more spells while also learning how to fight together as a team, something the trainers joined in on when they could. Some time was also spent studying, on Hermione's insistence of course. After a few days of working together, all of the students had their homework completed. This gave them more time to focus on everything else. All of the trainees made much more progress with the extra time they had now.

While he was busy with many other things, Harry hadn't forgotten about his ability to spy on Voldemort. He had been making good on his promise to Amelia, giving her knowledge of two more Death Eater raids he'd managed to learn of from Voldemort's mind. With the advanced warnings, she and her aurors were able to successfully stop them and save the intended victims. They even captured a few to interrogate, learning of two safehouses for them to raid. These successes were splashed all over the front page of the newspapers, courtesy of David, causing many Death Eaters much pain and suffering for their failures being displayed for all of the country to see. Harry felt Voldemort's anger and frustration through their link, giving him a huge sense of satisfaction to be part of its cause.

As for Operation TOMB and their others plans, progress had been made in those areas as well. Hermione helped Harry with his lesson plans and picking out books for the students. They both went to Minerva when they needed a more experienced advice. On Andromeda's suggestion, they went to a lesser known bookstore where they sold better books on DADA. Andromeda helped Matthew organize his lesson plans while she worked on her own since he'd never been a formal professor either. Meanwhile, Amelia and Andromeda continued to prepare Harry for the Wizengamot meeting.

The twins, with Ginny's help, started working on creating tools and weapons for the group. They had come up with small ball bombs, that could release different types of substances, such as smoke, tear gas, and adhesives to distract or deter their enemies. Some could even explode with varying degrees of blast radiuses. They were also working on a better form of communication, based off of muggle cellphones. To help them out, Harry bought a few cellphones along with books on their operation for the three to study. With all of the work they were doing, they had to hire a few people to help with the shop. The new workers were only involved with the commercial side of the business though, having no knowledge of the war inventions.

Minerva continued to get Harry ready for his NEWTs, working him a bit harder now that he was to be the next Defense Professor. Matthew's comments about Harry had her aiming for him to get his masteries in both subjects. She also made sure he continued to practice his elemental training, including Neville and Ginny now that she had more time with them. They weren't quite as far along as Harry, but they definitely were getting the hang of it.

Ron came up with the idea that the group needed a name as well as individual codenames as a way to protect their secrecy. After the effect Harry's alter ego had on Voldemort and the Death Eaters, he thought it should be something related to it. Eventually, they all agreed on the League of the Hoods, or the Hoods for short. Then, they came up with the codenames. After throwing out several suggestions, they managed to give everyone a name that suited their personality. Those names were as follows: Alpha for Harry; Lioness for Minerva; Scholar for Hermione; Shifter for Tonks; Barrister for Andromeda; Monarch for Amelia; Empath for Susan; Sleuth for Hestia; Aphrodite for Fleur; Oracle for Luna; Terran for Neville; Tactician for Ron; Firecracker for Ginny; Thing 1 for Fred; Thing 2 for George; Bear for Charlie; Mystique for Samena; and Eagle for Matthew.

The creation of the group name had Harry thinking about getting jackets and boots, like the ones Sirius gave him, made for the others. He went to Charlie, asking for help identifying the dragon hide used, which turned out to be the extremely rare Roman drake, thought to be extinct now. It was a wingless four-legged dragon, known for its stealth capabilities and white fire. After a trip to the Black family vault, Harry was able to discover the name and location of the person who made his jacket and boots. Her name was Jade, and she lived deep in a forest in Wales where she had a secret sanctuary for the drakes. Once Fleur took everyone's measurements, she, Harry, and Minerva went to Jade with the Hoods' request. She agreed to do it after Harry showed her the Black ring.

An argument to convince the Board was in the works as well. After much debate, the group had decided on informing them about everything that had happened at the school since Harry started. Minera suggested they mention Dumbledore's picking of unqualified or dangerous people for the Defense Professor position. Tonks brought up Dumbledore's allowance of Snape to single-handedly decrease the number of qualified potion-makers and its effect on any job that required a grade of E or above in Potions. This included healers and aurors. Hestia also suggested that, to help convince the Board they were only concerned about the safety of the students, they offer to send a contingency of aurors to patrol the castle.

Even though they were busy with everything else, those in the know also spent time trying to figure out where the rest of horcruxes were. Hestia spent a lot of her time working on this, being the most likely to figure it out due to her ability to notice even the smallest of details. She also enlisted the help of David Fletcher from the Daily Prophet. She had him track down any articles written about the Gaunt family for her to read. He agreed to help without asking why she needed them, realizing her need for secrecy. He knew she wouldn't ask him if it weren't important. He also secretly fancied her, though he tried not to show that. Hestia was aware of it though and planned on approaching him about it herself if he didn't make a move on her soon.

All in all, everything was moving forward.

\- H.M. –

At a few minutes past 7, Harry, Minerva, and Matthew flooed over to Minerva's house. No one else was coming since it would be a bit dangerous for those who weren't animagi to be around for his first transformation. Ron and the twins protested a little, wanting to see how it would happen, but Matthew was able to convince them to wait for their turn. Ron couldn't be snuck out of the Burrow for twelve hours without Mrs. Weasley noticing and the twins decided to wait for their brother, not wanting to leave him out. Instead, they were busy planning Harry and Neville's surprise birthday party that would take place tomorrow evening.

Once they reached a small clearing in the woods that surrounded Minerva's house, Matthew ran through everything that would happen one more time. Then he went to check on the potion while Minerva turned to Harry.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous, but excited." Harry's smile fell after a moment and he looked away.

"What is it?"

"I just wish Sirius was here to see it."

Minerva wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "I do too. He would be so proud of you. For this and everything else you've been able to accomplish recently."

"He'd probably give me a hard time about becoming a professor, though," Harry joked after a moment.

"And likely blame it on my influence." They both laughed as they thought about what Sirius's reaction to that would be.

"Alright, everything's set so as soon as you're ready Harry, we can begin," Matthew interjected.

Harry took a deep breath. "Let's get started then."

Minerva squeezed Harry's shoulder once before moving to sit by Matthew as he handed over the potion to him.

"Does it taste as bad as it smells?" Harry asked as he got a whiff of it, the foul odor making his nose hairs cringe.

"Sorry Ace, but it's even worse," Matthew replied. "But at least you only have to drink it once."

"As many potions as you've consumed in your life, this shouldn't bother you by now," Minerva remarked teasingly.

"I mean, I know how to avoid tasting most of it, but that doesn't mean I like it," Harry countered before he pinched his nose and gulped the entire contents down.

"Ugh that was horrible. What's in that stuff?" Harry asked once he finished.

"Trust me Ace, you don't wanna know," Matthew warned.

Harry couldn't respond because the potion started to take effect on him. He felt like he was spinning as images flew around him, moving too fast for him to see clearly. His head felt woozy and he couldn't tell what was up or down as the world shook around him. Then his body started to shift, his bones and muscles contorting into different shapes, though strangely enough, it wasn't painful. He felt his mind get overtaken by another presence as he had an out-of-body experience. Next thing he knew, he was looking down on himself, though instead of his normal human body he saw a large Grey wolf. It had a lightning bolt shaped white mark over his right eye and a diagonal mark on the left side of his face, representing the scars on his face. After a moment, his conscious returned to his mind, though he still didn't feel in control of it.

Matthew and Minerva had transformed into their own forms once Harry had finished, an eagle and cat respectively. Minerva made hers bigger to match Harry's size. Harry's wolf sized both of them up and sniffed at the air, assessing their threat level. When he decided they weren't foe or prey, he barked warningly before trotting off in a different direction. Matthew and Minerva followed along at a careful distance, with Matthew up high in the air.

They followed him around as he got used to his new form, testing out its limits. He bounced around like a newborn cub, smelling every new plant he saw or simply the air around him. He barked at small creatures he saw, chasing after a few of them and letting the ones he caught go. He didn't stop running around until he reached the riverbank, where he stopped to take a drink.

Minerva slowly approached him as non-threateningly as she could. When Harry noticed her, he turned around and faced her, hackles raised, and teeth bared. He growled at her, trying to get her to back away but she stayed put. Curious, he sniffed the air trying to get a whiff of her scent. The familiarity of it had him slowly approaching her, sniffing continuously as he tried to figure out where he knew that scent from. Once he was right in front of her, he sniffed even stronger, finally recognizing her. He butted his head against her playfully and she did the same to him. Matthew flew down from his perch and Harry repeated the same process until he recognized him as well.

When Harry started running around the forest again, Minerva was by his side with Matthew right above them. They continued this for the rest of the twelve hours, taking breaks or short rests when needed. After a few hours, Harry gained more control over his form, no longer feeling like a passenger in his own mind. Minerva tried to teach him a few skills that both their animals shared, but mostly they played around as Harry got adjusted to his new way of movement. Harry had one of the best times of his life as he enjoyed the feeling of pure freedom. In that forest with Minerva and Matthew, he could leave behind all of his fears, worries, and problems. It would always be a fond memory of his for as long as he lived.

As the end of the twelve hours came, Minerva led Harry back to her house. By the time they reached it, all of them were feeling the exhaustion. Thankfully, they only had to wait a few minutes for Harry to change back.

"Well that was fun," Harry muttered once all of them were human again. Then his legs gave out on him and Minerva just barely managed to catch him before he fell to the floor.

"Seems like it was very tiring as well," Matthew remarked. He moved to help them and together the three of them managed to floo back to the manor.

"Thank you, Matthew. I have him from here," Minerva said once they had reached the third floor.

Matthew gave her a curious look but didn't argue. "Alright then. You two get some rest."

"You as well," Minerva replied.

"Thanks for everything," Harry muttered, barely audible.

Once Matthew was headed down the stairs, Minerva brought Harry to his room. She helped him into bed and cleaned him up with a wave of her wand. Then she switched his clothes into something more comfortable for sleep. Harry was so out of it that he barely paid her actions any attention. She thought he'd gone to sleep until he spoke up.

"Hey, Minerva," he called out softly. He seemed to have gained a bit more strength in order to tell her something.

"Yes, Harry," she replied, moving closer to be able to hear him.

"Thank you for tonight. I don't say it nearly enough, but I really appreciate everything you've done for me."

"You're welcome, Harry." She was about to leave but saw the hesitation on his face, making her realize he wanted to say something else. "Whatever it is Harry, you know you can tell me."

"I uh… well it's just that my transformation has me feeling a bit… strange. I… will you stay. Just for tonight." What he didn't say is that his feelings for her were really intense at the moment and he didn't want to be apart from her. Even while he slept.

When she didn't respond for a while, Harry thought he'd overstepped his bounds and tried to fix it. Just as he started to apologize, Minerva held up her hand to stop him. "I'll stay for the night."

Harry was surprised she agreed but didn't question it, worried she would change her mind. "Thank you."

Minerva left to get ready for bed. Harry was sleep by the time she returned, so she quietly slipped under the covers and moved until she was in her usual starting position. As she ran her fingers through his hair, she couldn't help but chastise herself for giving in to her desires. _It's worth it though,_ she thought as drifted off.

\- H.M. –

The next day, he and Minerva woke up in an intimate position, as was typical when they slept together. This time they tried not to make a big deal about it, however, and were able to untangle themselves with minimal embarrassment. Minerva then wished him happy birthday before going to her room.

Once both of them had gone to their bathrooms and performed their daily hygiene rituals, Minerva was quick to lay down the law for the day. He was not allowed to use any magic whatsoever for the entire day. Neither was he allowed to exercise or lift anything heavy. Harry tried to argue against it at first, but it was half-hearted since he was still feeling the exhaustion from last night. Then she had Dobby bring him breakfast in bed before relegating him to his room until dinner time.

Samena arrived shortly after Harry finished eating, deciding to keep him company as the others finished up the preparations for his surprise birthday dinner.

"Well, how does it feel to officially be an animagus?" Samena asked as she sat down in a chair beside his bed.

Harry smiled in remembrance of last night. "Brilliant, though it'll be even better when I can actually use it. Minerva pretty much has me on bloody lockdown for the day."

"I'm sure she's only doing it to keep you safe."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Harry shook his head before changing the subject. "Anyway, how did everything go on your search?"

"It went very well if I do say so myself. Managed to find everything on my list and I've already started on all of the potions. Also decided where to take you to collect the unicorn blood."

"Where?" Harry asked, curiosity piqued.

"There's a small forest near the Lake of Virtue in Greece where I had to get the water for the ritual from. It has a good-sized herd of them there."

"I get to go out of the country, then? Good thing I have a passport."

"You've never travelled before?"

Harry shook his head. "Never really had any time or the ability to do so. But now I do. How will we be getting there?"

"Well since you have a passport, I think we should fly to Greece and then apparate to the forest. We could use a portkey, but where is the fun in that." Samena had a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"I've always wanted to get on a plane so that sounds good to me."

"I thought you might like that. So, tell me what you all have been up to since I left."

Harry gave her a detailed account of everything that had occurred while she was gone. By the time he was finished, Samena could only shake her head at the foolishness of Dumbledore.

"If he really thought he could stand between Minnie and someone she cares about, then he never knew her at all!" Samena exclaimed before calming down. "As for being the potions professor, I suppose I can stick around for a school year. She'll have to find someone else afterward though."

"I don't think she expected you to stay for any longer than that," Harry agreed.

The two of them talked for a little while longer until Kreacher brought Harry his lunch. Throughout the rest of the day until dinner time, the others took turns keeping him company, so he didn't feel alone. When it was their turn, Ron and the twins asked him all kinds of questions about his transformation. Harry's answers had them eagerly waiting for their turn to do it and they spent time trying to guess what animal they would become. Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks also asked about his animagus form, with Hermione writing everything he said down. For research purposes of course. Luna meanwhile gave him a cryptic message about the right time fast approaching, something Harry was still too out of it to try and figure out at the moment. The rest simply came to talk to him about normal topics, trying to keep his mood upbeat.

When it was finally time for dinner and the party to start, Minerva collected him from upstairs. As they opened the door to the kitchen, everyone yelled "Happy Birthday", causing Harry to stumble. He would have fallen down if it weren't for Minerva holding on to him. Every member of the Hoods was gathered around the table which was full of food and presents.

"Blimey, you guys didn't have to do all of this for me," Harry remarked.

"Of course, we did mate, it's your birthday," Ron exclaimed.

"Something that's supposed to be celebrated," Ginny added.

"What about Neville's birthday. His was yesterday," Harry protested.

"That's why I'm sitting here," Neville said from his spot at the foot of the table. He'd spent most of the day with his parents and grandmother at the hospital wing and had only arrived at the manor a few minutes ago "Did you really think all of these presents were for you, mate," he added jokingly.

"Just sit down and enjoy it already and stop making things so difficult," Tonks cut in.

Minerva led Harry to the seat at the head of the table, opposite of Neville. Hermione, who was sitting to his left, put a plate of food in front of him, cutting off any more protests from him. After that, they ate, laughed, and shared stories. No one talked about Voldemort, Dumbledore, or any of their other problems. Instead they used this time as a much-needed break from the chaos of the war.

Once they finished eating, the presents were passed out to the two guests of honor. Neville's gifts were mostly herbology-related, including a rare plant from Samena found during her recent trip. Harry, who had remembered Neville's birthday but not his own, gave him a rare book on magical plants he'd found in his vault. Neville also got items that would help him in the war, such as an auror-grade wand holster.

Both wizards received an assortment of treats as well as a hand-stitched sweater from Molly and Arthur. Harry's gift included a request to meet with him and Minerva, something he planned on accepting once he talked to the witch in question about it.

Harry's gifts were an assortment of things, since he was a bit harder to shop for. He got books, joke items from the twins, a magic-infused dagger from Matthew as well as a few other things. Andromeda, Amelia, Tonks, and Fleur had collaborated to have an outfit for the Wizengamot session made for him. It included a pair of black pants, a long sleeve black button up, a silver sweater vest with the Black Family insignia, and formal black boots to go with it. Instead of a robe, since they were aware of his distaste of those, they had a black cape made with the insignia on the back of it in silver. The whole outfit was formal but still loose enough for him to be able to fight in.

His favorite gift, however, was from Minerva. She gave him a locket that depicted a dog, a stag, and a lily in honor of his parents and godfather. On the inside was a picture of his parents and Sirius with Lily holding him as a baby. She'd found it in her stuff a while ago and thought he would appreciate it. When Harry finished examining it, he could only nod in gratitude, a single tear falling down his face.

Soon after that, Harry and Neville thanked everyone for the party and the gifts. Then they all dispersed for the evening. As Harry and Minerva got to their floor and were about to go to their own rooms, Harry pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Minerva. This is the best gift I've ever gotten," he whispered into her ear.

"You're welcome, Harry. I just wish there was a way to give you more time with them," she replied.

They stayed in that embrace for a few moments longer before reluctantly separating to their own rooms for the night.

\- H.M. –

Harry got increasingly nervous as the day of the Wizengamot session got closer and closer. By the time it was Monday, Harry had convinced himself that he would mess everything up. After their training session in the morning, Hermione pulled him to the side to try and calm him down.

"Honestly Harry, you're getting yourself all riled up for nothing you know. You're going to do fine," Hermione scolded lightly.

"What if forget what to say, or say the wrong thing and mess everything up, though?" Harry retorted.

"Harry, you're going to be fine. Even if you do forget what to say, you know how to improvise."

"But…"

"But nothing Harry," Hermione said sharply before softening her voice. "You can do this. Everyone believes in you so it's time you start believing in yourself."

"She's right you know," Amelia cut in, having overheard their conversation. "All you have to do is announce your lordship, nominate Andy as your proxy, and call for a vote of no confidence."

"But what if I'm not able to convince enough people to vote on our side?" Harry asked.

"Trust me when I say this Harry. That won't be hard for you to do. You have a natural charisma and charm despite what you may think," Amelia explained.

Harry looked at her skeptically. "How do you know that?"

"You managed to get all of us on your side, didn't you? We're all here because we believe in you and your ability to end this war," Amelia stated. "Plus, most of the public are on your side anyway after the Department of Mysteries incident."

"See, all you have to do is be yourself and everything will work out, so stop overthinking things. That's what usually gets you into trouble," Hermione declared.

Harry ran his hand through his hair sheepishly, seeing the truth in their words "Thanks for calming me down."

"That's what I'm here for," Hermione replied.

"Me as well," Amelia added.

Crisis averted, everyone returned to the manor to eat breakfast before those who had to go to the session went to get ready. Only Harry, Andromeda, Amelia, Tonks and Hestia were going, with the latter two serving as guards for Harry and Amelia respectively. As Harry was trying to figure out how to put on his tie without magic, someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he called out distractedly as he struggled.

Minerva stepped inside and chuckled lightly at his efforts. "Let me," she said as she moved toward him. She effortlessly tied it into a Windsor knot before straightening out his vest and smoothing his collar. She also straightened out his locket, secretly happy to see him wearing it. Then she placed glamour charms on him to disguise his face. When she tried to hide his newest scar, he stopped her, saying he didn't want to hide it anymore.

"You do realize you could have tied that with magic," Minerva remarked once she was done.

Harry shrugged. "I wanted to try it the muggle way for once. Didn't realize it was so bloody difficult though."

"Are you ready then?" she asked, a touch of concern in her tone.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "I am now after Hermione and Amelia calmed me down and made me realize I was overthinking everything."

She shook her head at him. "Well at least you're calm now, though you really need to get out of that habit."

"I'll try."

"Now go have fun overturning our government."

Harry smirked and saluted her. "Yes ma'am."

\- H.M. –

After going over the plan once more, the group of five apparated outside of the Ministry before separating into two groups so no one could guess that something was up. Amelia and Hestia went one way while Harry, Tonks, and Andromeda went another.

No one payed the trio any attention as they moved through the Ministry since Harry was unrecognizable. They were able to make it outside of the atrium where the session would be held, without any delay. Andromeda led them to office outside of the Black family seating area, locking the door behind them. Then all they could do is wait until everything started.

Once the session was called into order by Dumbledore, who had reclaimed his position as Chief Warlock, the trio slipped into the atrium proper. Harry sat down in the head chair with Andromeda and Tonks sitting beside him. They glanced at the full reporter section, making eye contact with David who had been asked by Hestia to be in attendance for the day. While she hadn't told him exactly what would happen, she had hinted that it would be something he didn't want to miss.

"Before we get into regular business, does anyone have a matter they'd like to bring to court's attention," Dumbledore stated once he finished the official opening.

Harry stood up at that and took a deep, cleansing breath. "I am announcing my ascension to the Black family Lordship," he stated firmly. This caused much murmuring to break out throughout the atrium. Those who had been talked to by Andromeda and Amelia gazed at him curiously, realizing this likely was part of the surprise the witches had mentioned.

"Who are you to claim that position?" Lord Nott shouted derisively.

Harry turned towards the man calmly, his face indifferent. "I am the chosen heir and godson of Sirius Orion Black, the previous Lord Black."

"Black was stripped of that position when he was sent to Azkaban. Lord Malfoy held that seat since then and it is supposed to go to _his_ heir," another challenged.

"You are mistaken. My godfather may have been _illegally_ imprisoned, but as he was never formally convicted, the lordship still belonged to him. He named me his heir in his Will, therefore I am Lord Black," Harry corrected, flashing his ring to prove his point.

Before anyone else could protest, Dumbledore banged his gavel, silencing the room after a moment. "As I was a witness to Sirius Black's Will, I can confirm Mr. Potter's claim. He is the rightful Lord Black and to be afforded all rights, responsibilities, and privileges so forth."

The trio could just barely hear the hint of bitterness in Dumbledore's tone and they smirked smugly at it. After all, they had just backed him into a corner. If he had denied Harry's claim, they could show the copy of the Will they had brought with them as proof. This would bring him under close scrutiny since it clearly shows that Dumbledore was mentioned in the Will and therefore had to have been present at the reading of it.

"Thank you, Chief Warlock," Harry stated, bowing his head in acknowledgement as he tried to keep his enjoyment of Dumbledore's dilemma out of his voice. "I am honored to be here among all of you and to have the chance to serve in this great body. However, I am still a student of Hogwarts and with much to learn about the work and procedures of the Wizengamot and my responsibilities as Lord Black. Therefore, after this meeting, Andromeda Tonks will serve as my proxy until I am better prepared to handle my duties."

Andromeda stood up with Harry and nodded to the assembly. "Thank you, Lord Black. I will endeavor to perform my duties as your proxy in a way that you approve of for as long as you need me to do so."

"Very well. Does anyone else have a matter they'd like to discuss?" Dumbledore asked as Andromeda sat down. Harry, however, was still standing, something Dumbledore picked up on once he finished his question. "Is there something else you'd like to say, Lord Black?"

"Yes, Chief Warlock," Harr began. "In light of the acknowledgement that Voldemort," Harry ignored the gasps of shock, "is alive, it comes to my attention that a change in Ministry leadership is in order. To fight this war effectively, we need someone with better experience who is more capable of leading this country to victory."

Fudge jumped to his feet indignantly at Harry's words. "I have been the Minister of this country for the past 7 years. I have done a great job and have the necessary experience to lead this war." he insisted.

"A great job?" Harry mocked. "You, who has continuously taken resources from other departments to fuel your selfish desires. You, who has taken funding from the auror department and assigned them to unimportant tasks. You, who thought it was a good idea to have dementors at a school full of children, despite the fact that the escapee you were chasing had _already managed to slip past them before_. You, who arrested the _innocent _Gamekeeper of Hogwarts during the Chamber of Secrets debacle instead of having the aurors investigate the matter, wanting to _look_ like you were doing something instead of _actually_ doing something. You, who allowed yourself to be led and bribed by a man who now resides in Azkaban. What good have you done for this country? What positive changes have you made? Because of you, other countries look down on us and have very little faith that we'll be able to handle Voldemort or his Death Eaters."

"You are a mere child and know nothing about intricacies of leading a country."

Harry scoffed at Fudge dismissively. "This mere child was unafraid to accept the fact that Voldemort was alive. This mere child has stood in front of Voldemort and come out alive. More than once." Seeing Fudge's continuous flinching as he said Voldemort name had Harry shaking his head in disgust "And this mere child can say and hear the name Voldemort without cowering in fear. Unlike you. So, forgive me for doubting your ability to run this country effectively during a time of peace, let alone in a time of war."

As Fudge began to splutter insults, Harry ignored the man and turned his attention to Dumbledore. "As I was saying, Chief Warlock, I would like to call a vote on removing the current minister from office and installing another."

"Does anyone second that motion?" Dumbledore asked hesitantly.

The atrium was quiet for a moment before a wizard stood up. "I, Lord Davis, second the motion." Harry nodded to him, receiving one in return.

"So ordered," Dumbledore replied. He called for the vote and had the secretary count them, though that was only a formality. Those in favor far outnumbered those against. "The motion to remove the current minister from his position is passed. Minister Fudge, I am afraid it is time for you to step down."

Being prepared for his reaction, Amelia had stationed some of her aurors near where Fudge was sitting. Now they moved to drag the man out, holding him tightly as he struggled to get away. Fudge yelled the entire time and his screams weren't silenced until the doors were shut behind him.

"Now we need to vote on our next Minister of Magic. Those who would like to nominate someone may begin now," Dumbledore stated. This was followed by several names being thrown out around the atrium. When names were put forward, many glanced toward Harry to see if he would second them, trying to gauge who he would support. He sat back calmly, though, giving no emotions as the names were called.

Eventually a few managed to get seconded. Lord Nott was the first to successfully get nominated. Amos Diggory was next. Two others Harry didn't know were picked as well. Those who called for them all gave short speeches, touting their supposed worthiness for the position. Still Harry was quiet, seeming almost disinterested in the process, making some question why he called for the vote in the first place. They expected him to nominate someone personally, but he wasn't concerned with their expectations. He was a bit nervous that no one would nominate Amelia, but Andromeda calmed him down by placing her hand on his shoulder and whispering for him to be patient.

Near the end of the nomination period, Lord Greengrass stood up and cleared his throat. "I nominate Madam Amelia Bones for Minister of Magic. She was an exemplary and honorable student during her time at Hogwarts, serving as a prefect for the house of Hufflepuff. Since she joined the aurors, she has worked tirelessly to protect and defend our country. During the first war, she made a name for herself as a fierce and brave warrior, being instrumental in many of our victories after she graduated school. She rose through the auror ranks quickly on her own merits and hard work, never asking for any handouts. As the Head of our Department of Magical Law Enforcement she has reformed that department to make it run more effectively and efficiently, despite the previous minister's substantial cuts to her department. I am more than confident that as Minister of Magic, she would be able to not only win this war, but change our country into a better place, making it an example that others would want to follow."

Those who'd been nominated became increasingly nervous as Lord Greengrass spoke, but it was Harry's next words that nailed the coffin into their dreams of becoming the Minister of Magic. "I, Lord Black, second that nomination."

Amelia fixed a slightly surprised expression on her face as she stood and accepted the nomination.

Like the first one, this vote was merely a formality as Amelia won overwhelmingly with Harry's support. Most didn't want to go against the man who even Voldemort couldn't defeat. Then Amelia stood to give a few words.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity to lead our country. I promise to earn the faith and trust you have shown me today, by upholding the laws of our country and making it a safer place. My first action as your Minister of Magic will be to officially declare war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They are to be classified as terrorists and any who are found working with them will be treated as traitors against our country. Because of this, I will immediately increase the funding for the auror department to give them the tools and equipment they need to fight this war properly. My former department will also be left in the capable hands of Rufus Scrimgeour, who I'm sure will do an exemplary job running it.

I will do everything in my power to save this country from the tyranny of Voldemort, but I can't do it alone." She turned to look directly at the reporter section, her gaze focused on David and his camera man. "I want this message to be sent out as soon as possible. Those who want to be able to fight back against our enemies, I invite you to come join the auror department. Learn how to defend not only yourselves, but your family and friends as well. Our enemies may seem strong, but together we can be even stronger." To finish, she turned back to face the atrium at large. "I know many of you have questions, but they will have to be asked at the press conference I will hold tomorrow. Right now, I need to get to work to get our Ministry back on track."

Amelia, guarded by Hestia and another auror, exited the room after that, leaving the atrium buzzing with noise. Harry, Tonks, and Andromeda also slipped out before too many could notice him.

Dumbledore did notice however, and he was left trying to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately for him, he wouldn't find out until it was too late.

\- H.M. –

Early that evening, the Hoods gave a toast to their new Minister of Magic and the success of their plan.

* * *

League of Hoods Members:

Harry – Alpha

Minerva – Lioness

Hermione – Scholar

Tonks – Shifter

Andromeda – Barrister

Amelia – Monarch

Hestia – Sleuth

Fleur – Aphrodite

Luna – Oracle

Ron – Tactician

Neville – Terran (means earth)

Fred – Thing 1

George – Thing 2

Ginny – Firecracker

Charlie – Bear

Samena – Mystique

Matthew – Eagle


	14. Chapter 14

AN: This is the second of two updates. This one has a bit of action in it, so I hope it was written well enough.

Chapter 14

The day after Amelia was named Minister of Magic, Harry and Minerva went to the Burrow for lunch to talk with Molly and Arthur. When they arrived, the couple was waiting for them in the kitchen, a meal set out on the table. Molly got up and pulled Harry into a tight hug, one that he received gratefully. As she pulled back, he saw the tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry we didn't do more to help you. We should have taken you in as soon we realized those _people_ weren't taking proper care of you," she said, pain and regret heard clearly in her voice.

"It's not your fault Mrs. Weasley and there wasn't much you could do," he replied. "Besides, I know how hard you tried to convince Dumbledore to get me out of there earlier every single summer, but he didn't listen. That's on him, not you."

"When did you get so wise all of a sudden?" she asked jokingly, wiping the tears from her face.

Harry laughed. "I spent too much time around Minerva."

"Yes, she tends to have that effect on people." She laughed with him as they walked over to the table to sit down.

Minerva and Arthur greeted Molly and Harry respectively once they reached the table before all four of them sat down to eat.

"I'm sure you can already guess, but we've spent quite a bit of time thinking and have come to the realization that Dumbledore does not have your best interests at heart, Harry. He treats you like a weapon instead of a person, and I will no longer sit by and let it happen," Molly said after a moment of silence.

"Me either," Arthur confirmed. "His obsessive need to control you is concerning. In fact, he has an obsessive need to control this war and how it proceeds. He doesn't seem to be fighting this war effectively and his actions in the last one failed to prevent more innocent lives from being lost."

"I lost two of my brothers during the last war and now I can't help but think that Dumbledore could have prevented that," Molly added. "So, whatever you two have planned, we want in. We will no longer support that man."

"Thank you," Harry and Minerva replied gratefully. They looked at each other before beginning to tell Arthur and Molly about what they had been working on. Harry made sure to accept responsibility for her children hiding the fact that they had been training, but they were quick to forgive him. Though neither wanted any of their children to have to fight in the war, they realized they wouldn't be able to stop them from supporting Harry, not after everything he done for their family. At least they were being taught by some of the best witches and wizards in the country.

After making sure both of them knew Occlumency, they informed them about the horcruxes and Operation TOMB. Molly cried hard when she figured out that Dumbledore had planned on using Harry as a sacrifice, pulling him into another tight hug.

"I can't believe he tried to throw your life away like that. As if it means nothing," Molly cried.

"And to think you spent almost your whole life with a piece of that monster inside of you and he did nothing to get rid of it," Arthur said, his tone icy.

"I was upset as well when I became aware of that," Minerva remarked, a hint of anger in her tone.

"At least now I have a way to get it out of me," Harry said placatingly.

"Yes, thanks to Samena," Minerva said.

"Is there anything we can do to help at the moment?" Molly asked once she'd calmed down some.

"Amelia asked if you would meet with her today about helping her in the Ministry, Arthur," Minerva noted, having been told to pass the message earlier today.

"And you can come over to the manor anytime Mrs. Weasley. I'm sure there's plenty you can help us with there," Harry suggested. "In fact, Charlie's told me that you're really good at healing magic. We already have Poppy helping us, but we could always use more help. And Susan seems to have an affinity for it as well. You could teach her what you know."

Both agreed to their suggestions, grateful to have something useful to do. Harry and Minerva made sure to tell them not to quit the Order until after Dumbledore was ousted as headmaster before they left. The Hoods had decided it was best for all still in the Order except Tonks to wait until then to resign to avoid rousing anymore suspicion than necessary. Tonks quit ahead of them since Dumbledore had already seen her with Harry at the Wizengamot meeting. She had been quite satisfied after sending off the letter with her resignation from the Order to him.

\- H.M. –

While Harry and Minerva had their meeting, Fleur was having a long overdue talk with Bill. She met with him for lunch in a muggle restaurant in the middle of London. They were getting their food to go so they could talk somewhere private. Once they had both given their orders, Fleur broached the subject they'd been avoiding for the past few weeks.

"Bill, zere is somezing I need to tell you and I ask zat you give me a chance to explain before you make any decisions," she said.

"If you're trying to tell me you want to see other people, please don't. I promise I'll talk to my mother and get her to stop badmouthing you and start respecting you. I've even gotten us an apartment where we can live instead to give us some privacy," Bill pleaded. When she'd first moved out of the Burrow, he'd thought she needed some time to herself. But after a few weeks went by and she hadn't returned, he started to get worried that she was going to leave him. They had seen each other of course, but not as much as they used to.

"Zat is not what zis is about," she stated. "Zough we do need to 'ave a talk with your mother about 'er problems wiz me. I need to apologize to 'er for my behavior as well."

"It's not? Then what is this about? Why haven't you come back yet and where have you been staying?" Bill asked suspiciously.

There was a pause in their conversation as they received their food. Bill led them to a secluded area in the nearby park, warding it off before they sat down. Fleur had spread the blanket out for them to sit on, their food placed in between them as they sat across from each other.

She took a deep breath before she began explaining her problems with Dumbledore and Tonks proposition to her. Then she told him about Harry's talk with her and the others and her decision to help him. Remembering Tonks's warning, she didn't talk about any of their plans just yet, waiting until she knew his reaction first. She also didn't mention any of the others that were at the meeting or part of the Hoods by name.

"Zen he offered a room in his manor, so I decided to stay zere," Fleur concluded. "I didn't mean to stay so long, but I 'ave been very busy 'elping 'im and wiz work."

Bill sat back, unsure about what to do. He didn't understand why she had a problem with the headmaster. After all, he was the leader of the Light and the one who stopped Grindelwald. He wasn't perfect, but he wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone. If Bill was honest with himself, he believed Harry was more of a problem than anyone else. After an uncomfortable silence, he finally spoke up. "You really believe him about Dumbledore and everything?"

Fleur replied back firmly and without hesitation. "I do."

"I… I need time to think about this." He paused for a moment "What else aren't you telling me?"

"I can't tell you until you make your decision. Zey are sensitive matters, I'm afraid."

"You aren't doing anything dangerous, are you?"

Fleur gave him a strange look. "It is a war, Bill. Danger is unavoidable."

"But that doesn't mean you have to fight in it."

"You didn't 'ave zis problem when I was part of ze Order?"

"Because Dumbledore was in charge then."

"What is zat supposed to mean?" Fleur's tone was dangerous, but Bill ignored the warning sign.

"I'm just saying you should be careful. Harry has a habit of getting people hurt or killed. Plus, he's still a kid with no real experience leading anyone. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"'ow could you say zat after 'e saved your sister and your fazer's lives?"

"Because he also put Ron in danger several times."

"Ron chose to 'elp 'im because zey are friends. And 'arry never went looking for trouble. 'e was always dragged into it."

"He's a trouble magnet and I don't trust him to keep you safe."

"I will not abandon 'im. Not after 'e saved my sister's life without any regard to 'is safety. Not when 'e was ze first person outside of my family to see me for who I am, and not as ze stereotypes of my race. 'e is my friend."

"What about me? I see you that way. And so what he helped your sister. She was never really in trouble anyway. Dumbledore made sure of that."

"Dumbledore did not!" Fleur leapt from to her feet in fury. "Your precious Dumbledore forgot zat ze Veela and ze Merpeople 'ave a treaty banning us from entering each ozers territory. During zat task, zey sabotaged me wiz ze grindylows and would have killed Gabby if 'arry 'adn't decided to save 'er too."

Bill stood up as well. "Dumbledore wouldn't have done that! Just like he didn't do anything to Harry!"

"Yes 'e did! You are just to blind to see it."

The two of them stood glaring at each other for several moments, too angry to talk. Then, Bill gave her a look of disappointment and shook his head at her. "I thought you were better than that, but I see I was wrong. You're just as enamored with Potter as everyone else is."

"I trust 'arry because 'e 'as earned it from me. It is you who refuses to see Dumbledore for who he really is. And I cannot be wiz someone who supports zat man. Not after ze zings he's done to 'arry in ze name of ze 'Greater Good'."

"Then go. You probably just want to be with him anyway but you're too afraid to admit it. I hope he doesn't get bored with you too soon."

Fleur stepped back in horror. "I thought you saw past the stereotypes, but I guess I was wrong as well. Goodbye William." Then she waved her wand, dispelling the wards around them, and walked away, leaving an angry wizard behind.

Tears fell down her face as she apparated away.

\- H.M. –

When Harry, who was in the living room alone for once, saw Fleur's face as she walked into the door, he knew her talk hadn't gone well. He got up and met her in the hallway trying to think of something to say to try and comfort her. He didn't get a chance though because she threw herself into his arms before he could get out a word. He rubbed her back as she sobbed uncontrollably. They stood there for several minutes until Fleur had calmed down enough speak.

"I'm sorry 'arry," Fleur said as she pulled away, trying to wipe her face.

"Don't be," Harry replied as he conjured a handkerchief for her which she accepted gratefully. "I'm your friend. I'm supposed to help you when you're in distress."

"Zank you." Fleur finished wiping her face.

"What did he say?" Harry asked after giving her a few moments to regain her composure.

"Zat 'e believes Dumbledore can do no wrong and zat you're reckless and get people into trouble… or worse." When Fleur saw Harry's head drop a bit, she placed her finger under his chin to lift it back up. "'e is wrong 'arry. You 'ave spent much of your life trying to 'elp people. Ze chaos zat you get into is because of ze actions or inactions of others, not you. Even when you do run towards trouble, it is only because you feel like you 'ave no choice and couldn't live wiz yourself if you did nothing."

Harry gave a small chuckle. "You witches are determined to stop me from brooding, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are," Fleur smiled, though it was tinged with sadness.

Harry picked up on that. "What else did he say?"

"He… he got angry after I defended you and implied zat ze only reason I am supporting you is because I want to be with you. Zen he said, and I quote, 'I 'ope 'e doesn't get bored wiz you too soon', so I left him."

"I'm so sorry he said that to you. If he wasn't a Weasley I'd go hex him. Sadly, I can't, but I can promise that you'll always have a place here, no matter what. I stick up for my friends, even when it's difficult."

"Zank you, 'arry. Zat is why I will support you, no matter what anyone else says."

\- H.M. –

After Fleur's argument with Bill, Molly and Arthur tried to sit their son down and convince him of Dumbledore's many faults. He wouldn't listen to them however, insisting that they were the ones who were blind to Harry's faults. In his mind, a man who had done so much for him and his family couldn't possibly have committed the actions they claimed he did. Especially not when Dumbledore was the one who helped him realize his dream to become a curse-breaker by getting him several coveted opportunities to train under some of the greats in the field. When he threatened to tell Dumbledore about their perceived betrayal, Arthur realized how much Dumbledore had groomed Bill to be his blind follower. He was forced to wipe the memory of the conversation from Bill's mind to preserve their secret.

Molly's heart was broken at losing another son, but she found comfort in being able to teach Susan about healing magic and helping the Hoods in general. It gave her a sense of purpose beyond anything she'd ever felt with the Order, reinforcing the belief that she and her family had made the right decision. Apologizing to Fleur for her harsh judgement based on unfair prejudices made her feel better too, especially since the witch apologized for her brash attitude in return. Their relationship was much better now that they'd gotten over their misunderstandings and found that they actually enjoyed being in each other's company.

Molly also kept busy with healing up any injuries the group sustained during training and helping Winky and Topsy in the kitchen whenever they let her. The three of them came to an agreement that Molly was allowed to make lunch everyday and dinner on Sundays. She was also allowed to help with the cooking on any celebrations or other special occasions.

All of the Weasleys, except Percy of course, apologized for Bill's words and actions, letting Fleur know that they didn't share his viewpoint. This was especially meaningful to her coming from Ginny, who had warmed up to the Veela over the past few weeks. The rest of the Hoods offered their support as well. George was especially kind to her, going out of his way to try and make her laugh as often as he could without overdoing it. Fleur appreciated all of their actions, feeling a bit better about the situation because of it.

Arthur was kept busy as well. When he met with Amelia, she offered to place him in charge of a special taskforce she was creating. Its job would be to minimize the impact the war had on the muggle world and to prevent the magical world's discovery. They would be in charge of cleaning and fixing up any damage caused by magical fights. They would have people out in the country monitoring things on the ground to give early warning of an attack in the muggle world. Whenever the aurors went on a planned attack, the taskforce would come along to minimize the damage and protect any potential witnesses, keeping them from noticing anything if possible and erasing the memories of those who saw anything. They would also help coordinate with the muggle leaders who knew about the magical world, keeping them informed about what was going on while the leaders would let them know of any issues or attacks suspected to be caused by magic. With Harry's help, Arthur was much more knowledgeable about the muggle world and its many intricacies, making him well-suited for the job. All of the work he had to do helped keep his mind from dwelling on his eldest son's betrayal of their family, though he was still very upset by it.

Both Molly and Arthur were fully accepted into the ranks of the Hoods and their measurements were sent to Jade so they could get their own uniform made. The others had already received theirs a few days ago, their codenames being added to them by Fleur for a small personal touch. Everyone was satisfied with them, liking how they fit each of them the way they wanted them too. Even Harry's had gotten an alteration so it better fit his frame.

\- H.M. –

On Friday of that same week, a breakthrough in the search for the horcruxes was made. Hestia was able to discover the last known address of the Gaunt family, using the old articles and records David had provided her. She told those in the know about it and they all agreed it was a likely hiding place. So, on Saturday evening, Harry, Minerva, Hestia, Andromeda, Amelia, Tonks, and Samena apparated at the end of the street where the Gaunt shack was located. They approached slowly, with Hestia and Samena activating their Magical Reader and Aura Reader abilities respectively. The others continuously scanned their surroundings to look out for any sign of someone being there.

Once they reached the ward line, Hestia held up her hand to stop them. "If there isn't a horcrux hiding here, then I'm not a witch. He has this place warded up tightly."

"Will you be able to disassemble it?" Harry asked.

"I could, but that might alert Riddle to our presence since I'm not sure how connected he is to them," Hestia replied.

"You're going to create a hole in the wards then?" Samena guessed.

Hestia nodded. "I am, but it will take me a bit to do so."

"If you think it's the best way to go forward, then take all of the time you need," Amelia said, the others agreeing with her.

They all stood waiting and keeping guard as Hestia worked. It took her about twenty minutes to finish, but when she was done, she had a sizable hole in the wards that extended all the way to the front door.

"Alright, we'll need to go in single-file, but we can get in now," Hestia announced.

They moved forward, with Harry right behind Hestia and Andromeda bringing up the rear. Their line was tight as everyone made sure to follow the exact steps of the person in front of them. When they reached the door, Hestia scanned over it for any spells, finding none. She only had to push on it lightly for it to swing open.

"Guess he didn't see any need to lock his door," Harry remarked sarcastically as they walked inside, causing Tonks to snort.

"It's because he had too much faith in the wards ability to keep everyone out," Samena noted.

"He likely has protections over the area hiding the horcrux though," Minerva warned.

"Do you see anything?" Amelia asked Hestia.

Hestia scanned over the room with her ability, locking onto a spot under the floorboard in the far-left corner. "There's a high concentration of dark magic in that area. There's also a strange ward over it, but I'm not sure what it does exactly." She walked closer to get a better look, the others following behind her. "I think it's some type of persuasion or alluring ward."

Samena cautiously waved her wand over the area, coming to the same conclusion as Hestia. "I believe you are right. We must be very careful when opening it. If anyone starts to get any foreign or strange thoughts, back away as quickly as you can."

Once everyone voiced their agreement, Hestia began dismantling the wards she could while Harry pried open the floorboard with a transfigured crowbar. Inside was a small black box, like those used for jewelry. Cautiously, Hestia spelled open the lid, revealing the Gaunt family ring inside. They didn't have a chance to focus much attention on it however as they all were struck by a strong pulling sensation emanating from the ring. They fought hard to ignore it, but then it started whispering in their ears, promising them anything they desired. It preyed on their hidden fears and dreams, swearing that the ring would give them the power to overcome or achieve them. They tried to step back to escape the mental assault, but it was hard to do so, their feet uncooperative and heavy as stone.

"We have to get the ring into the box!" Andromeda shouted, referring to the magic sealing box Samena had given them to hold the horcruxes in.

"Easier said than done!" Tonks complained.

"Give it to me," Harry commanded clearly after a moment.

Minerva saw the determination in his eyes. "He can do it Samena. Give him the box." Samena did as she asked without question.

"Be careful not to touch it with your hands," Hestia warned.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, conjuring a thick black cloth for protection. Then he released a deep breath before moving toward the ring. He took small steps to fight against the powerful urge to run forward. He tried to close off his mind from the whisperings as much as possible, ignoring the temptation they provided. When he was only a foot away, he was hit by a powerful wave of the wards magic and the urgent whispers turned into screams. It was impossible to ignore them, and Harry's knees buckled at their intensity. Images of him conquering Dumbledore and Voldemort began to flood his mind. Then they shifted, showing him with Minerva, together, both looking happier than he'd ever seen either of them. All the while, the screams told him that only the ring would help him achieve it.

When he felt he couldn't take it anymore, the voice inside of him, which sounded just like Minerva, reminded him who he was and what he was capable of. This gave him the strength to fight back. "No! I don't need or want your help!" he shouted as he reached out for the ring. Once he had it securely wrapped in the cloth, he placed it in the box and closed the lid firmly, locking it away.

Immediately, the dark, overbearing presence was gone, and everyone slumped down to the ground in relief.

"Well that was horrible," Tonks remarked after they'd all caught their breath.

"Good job, Harry," Hestia complemented. This was voiced by the others in quick succession.

"Four found, three more to go," Harry declared.

\- H.M. –

On Monday the 12th, Harry, Minerva and Tonks, who was his guard for the day, left right after breakfast to go to the ICW headquarters. Harry had been very nervous about his NEWTs during their morning workouts, but the group as a whole were able to calm him down and reassure him that he was more than capable to pass the tests. Luna's advice to, "Just calm down and be yourself and you'll be fine," was especially helpful due to her seer abilities. Now he walked with a quiet confidence, ready to show all of the hard work he and Minerva had done in preparation for this.

They were greeted at the testing office by a man named Rupert Smith, Amelia's contact whom she had set up the appointment with.

"Welcome Mr. Potter, Professor McGonagall, and Auror Tonks," Rupert greeted once he took them back to his office, getting greetings in return.

"Thank you for setting this up anonymously for me," Harry said as he and the witches sat down in the chairs across from.

"You're welcome Mr. Potter, but it was no trouble at all. Amelia is a good friend of mine and I can definitely understand your need for secrecy," Rupert replied.

"Madame Bones asked me to send her regards. She wished she could have come, but being Minister of Magic has her very busy," Tonks stated.

"Yes, I can only imagine the mess Fudge left for her to clean up," Rupert joked.

"I believe calling it a mess is an understatement," Minerva remarked.

"Indeed, it is," Rupert agreed. "Now, are you ready to go Mr. Potter?"

"Please call me Harry and yes, I'm as ready as I can be thanks to Professor McGonagall," Harry answered.

"You definitely got lucky getting the internationally famous 'Mistress of Transfiguration' as your mentor. One who I know is extremely talented in not only that field, but Defense and Charms as well, with a mastery in the former," Rupert acknowledged admiringly.

"Thank you, Rupert, but Harry's talents lie more in his own innate ability. I was simply his guide," Minerva said humbly.

"Then he had an excellent guide," Rupert conceded. "As for the tests, I thought it'd be best if we do written sections for both first and the practical sections after lunch. I will be proctoring the written ones, but the practical ones will be proctored by two others. They have both taken oaths though, so your secrecy will not be compromised."

"Sounds good to me," Harry agreed.

"Then let's get started," Rupert declared. He led Harry to a small room with a few desks to sit at. Minerva and Tonks had to sit in the waiting room as they weren't allowed in the testing room for the written sections, though Rupert promised to let them watch the practical sections with him.

"Before we begin, I have one question. Where did you get that scar on your head from?" Rupert asked, referring to his most recent one.

Harry responded in a secretive tone, though they were the only ones in the room. "This obviously needs to stay between us for now, but let's just say I had a run-in with an infamous werewolf who is no longer alive. It was probably more due to luck than anything, though."

Rupert looked at Harry in shock, knowing exactly who he was referring to having seen the report of Greyback's death in the papers. "Now I'm even more excited to see what you can do during the practical tests." Getting over his shock quickly, he focused his attention back on the current exam. He explained the instructions and rules to Harry before handing out the first test and the other materials he would need.

Harry took the Transfiguration one first and the DADA one second, with a fifteen-minute break in between. He took his time answering the questions, making his responses as thorough as possible. Some of the questions were a bit difficult to understand since theory wasn't always his strong suit, but Minerva's preparation helped him to figure out what the questions were ultimately asking. During his break, he took time to organize and calm his thoughts, focusing only on the next test.

When he was finally finished with both, Rupert took them to restaurant nearby the office to avoid anyone recognizing them in the building's crowded lunchroom. There Harry had a light, but filling lunch to bolster him up for the next tests. As they ate Rupert let them know that Harry's tests were being graded as they speak so he would have his results before they left.

After they finished eating, they went back to the building, going to an area farther down the hallway then before. When they got to their destination, a witch and a wizard were waiting for them.

"Guys, this is Professor Khan and Sensei Tanaka. They will be the proctors for the Transfiguration and Defense tests respectively. Proctors, this is Professor McGonagall, Auror Tonks, and Mr. Potter," Rupert introduced as they all shook hands.

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," Professor Khan said. "I am eager to see how you perform today."

"As am I, Harry-san," Sensei Tanaka said.

"I can't wait either," Harry replied.

"The tests will be in the same order as before so whenever you're ready, you can get started. Tonks, Minerva and I will be watching from the viewing room," Rupert said. He and Tonks wished Harry luck as they started to walk away.

Minerva held Harry back for a moment. "Good luck, and don't hold back."

Harry nodded his head. "I won't."

With that, Harry followed the two proctors into the testing room. Sensei Tanaka sat to the side to wait her turn while Professor Khan led Harry to the center of the room. There was a table there that held several objects and a few creatures on it.

"As I'm sure you can guess, we will be using these for some of the transfigurations you will need to do," Professor Khan began. "For this test, I will simply ask you to do several types of transfigurations and you will perform them to the best of your abilities. Sound good?" Harry nodded in understanding and Professor Khan began the test.

As instructed, Harry was asked to perform many tasks progressing from simple to complicated. He gave it his all as he worked, being as creative as he could within the confines of the tasks' objectives. He used very little wand movements, able to do many of the transfigurations with a simple flick of his wand. Seeing how talented he was, Professor Khan gave him harder and harder tasks, trying to learn his limits. Harry had to use more wand movements for the more difficult spells, but he still performed admirably. The proctor was having fun watching someone with so much talent and went on for longer than the test stipulated.

As they watched Harry move through the test, Rupert turned to Minerva in the viewing room, his eyebrow raised. "Does he realize that what he's doing is complicated for some professors of the subject?"

"Probably not," Minerva admitted.

Back down in the testing room, Harry and Professor Khan were wrapping up.

"Is there any other relevant ability or talent you'd like to show me before we conclude?" Professor Khan asked.

"Would you like to see my animagus form?" Harry asked in response.

Once his proctor gave him the go ahead, he took a deep breath before transforming, a fierce grey wolf taking his place after a few seconds. Harry shook himself before beginning to show what he was capable of in this form. First, he changed size, showing how big and small he could get. Then he ran around the room, displaying how much control he had over his movements as he leaped and twisted over and under obstacles Professor Khan placed in his way.

"Very impressive, Mr. Potter. There aren't too many natural animagus around," Professor Khan exclaimed once they were finished.

"Thank you. I've only been an animagus since the 30th of last month, but I try and work on it every day," Harry replied.

"I can tell. Do you have any other surprises?"

Harry glanced at the viewing window, his gaze on Minerva to ask a silent question. When she nodded in reply, he turned back to Professor Khan. "Just two more." Then without warning, Harry conjured a ball of flame in his hand and proceeded to manipulate it into various shapes to show his control over it. Just when his proctor was getting over his surprise, Harry did the same thing with air. He even made it visible so everyone could see it and finished off with a small tornado in the palm of his hand.

"That's everything now," Harry remarked when he was finished.

"Amazing Mr. Potter. You seem to deserve all the fuss that's made about you, if not more," Professor Khan declared. "Now you can take a twenty-minute break before your next test." He turned to Sensei Tanaka who had walked over to them. "I hope you have as much fun during your turn as I just did."

Sensei Tanaka glanced at Harry curiously. "I'm sure I will."

Back in the viewing room, Rupert was trying to get over the shocks Harry's performance had delivered to his system. Tonks and Minerva however were filled with pride, happy to see how far he'd come. His performance only confirmed their belief that he would be able to defeat Voldemort for good when the time came.

"He's something else, isn't he?" Tonks noted when the man was silent for a few minutes.

"I can't believe he's only 16 and he's already that good," Rupert exclaimed. "And a double elemental at that."

"Yes, though I expect you to keep that fact quiet until he decides to reveal it to the world," Minerva said, a hint of warning in her tone

"Of course," Rupert agreed. "Though it does make me wonder if you are as gifted as he is. After all, I'm already aware that you are a natural animagus."

"Yes. Fire and Earth to be exact," Minerva replied after a bit of hesitation.

"He got the perfect mentor for him," Tonks remarked.

Rupert nodded in agreement. "Indeed, he did."

Meanwhile, Harry was catching his breath and refocusing his mind for the next test. When his break was over, Harry and Sensei Tanaka went back into the testing room while Professor Khan joined the others in the viewing room. The room configuration had changed from before. There were three targets set at increasing distances and a table with several strange stones on top of it. The rest of it was taken up by what looked like a large, artificial battlefield, complete with trees, buildings, and other features you would find in the real world.

Sensei Tanaka cleared her throat before speaking. "To begin, I want you to cast every offensive spell you know at the targets I've set up. You will have to hit each of the three targets with all of your spells. I will be checking your power, accuracy, and speed of casting. Also, to make sure I know what spell you're using, you will say them aloud. Understood?"

"Yes Sensei," Harry replied.

"Good, you may begin when ready."

Harry paused for a moment before beginning. It took him about fifteen minutes to get through his spell list. Sensei Tanaka was impressed at the amount of power he was able to put into each of them, especially since he'd just used so much magic earlier. His accuracy and speed were high as well, though she expected nothing less from someone who trained under Minerva. She was well aware of the formidable witch's reputation.

She tested his shields next, sending spells at him while he had to use the appropriate spell or tactic to defend against her. This went on for about five minutes before she stopped.

"Very good. Next I will check your knowledge of counter spells," Sensei Tanaka said as they walked over to the table. "Each of these 20 stones have a different dark curse upon them. You will have to identify the curse and cast the appropriate counter-spell to disable it. You will only get one chance, so pick your spells wisely. I will be timing you so you will start on my mark."

Once he was signaled to start, Harry got to work. He scanned over each stone carefully, thinking it through before deciding on a counter-spell to use. It took him another fifteen minutes to finish, with only a few giving him a difficult time.

Sensei Tanaka finished recording his scores before leading him over to the battlefield. "To finish your test, you will have to duel me. The only rules are these: no Unforgivables; no lethal intent; and no elements. Everything else goes. To make things even more interesting, you will have to travel through the battlefield to reach me first. I will be waiting for you in a courtyard in the middle it. On your journey, it will add in its own surprises and tests, so be prepared for that. To give you a boost, you will be allowed to take this energy potion once you reach the courtyard, but not before then. Any questions?"

"No. I'm ready when you are," Harry said excitedly.

"You go on the other end of the battlefield then. It will start as soon as you enter it."

Harry walked over to his starting point, taking a deep breath, stretching his muscles, and making sure his occlumency shields were in place. Then he stepped inside.

Not even five steps in and he already had to jump out of the way to avoid being blasted by an unknown spell heading for him. Then he saw a very realistic training dummy running toward him as more spells were thrown in his direction. He dodged out of the way of those as he returned fire. They dueled for a about a minute longer until he was able to blow it up with a well-placed Bombarda. He walked up to it and crouched down to examine it more closely. The dummy, unlike the ones at the Black manor, was very human-like, with two legs and two arms that had a large range of movement. It even had a face and hair on its head. If Harry didn't know that he and Sensei Tanaka were the only ones in the room, he could have mistaken it for a real person.

As he was examining it, the training dummy disappeared without warning, no trace of it left. _Well this is gonna be fun_, he thought as he stood up. Then he started moving forward again. He swiveled his head around constantly as he walked, staying aware of his surroundings now that he knew to be on guard for surprise attacks. He kept going until he reached a relatively tall building. He climbed up the ladder on its wall, wanting to get a better view of the battlefield.

Up there, he could see quite a bit of the area, yet he couldn't spot Sensei Tanaka anywhere. The battlefield reminded him of the ones depicted in war movies, with barricades and defense posts scattered around among the buildings. Before he got down, he took note of the location of the large courtyard where he would meet up with Sensei Tanaka.

Once back on the ground, Harry started moving forward again. His next surprise came as he was walking down a street lined with shops. As he passed by a seemingly empty coffee shop, he heard a cry for help. Confused, Harry stopped walking and turned his head to determine where the sound came from. His ears led him to look at the coffee shop. Cautiously, he walked inside of it.

The front was empty, but the sound seemed to come from the back. He peeked in the small round window of a door that led to the kitchen and almost burst into the room at what he saw. There were three men standing over a little boy, their wands pointed menacingly at him. Harry could hear them taunting the boy for being a muggle-born wizard.

_It's just a simulation and they're only highly realistic training dummies, so calm down Harry_, he said, self-placatingly. Still, Harry knew this was another test for him to pass, so he took a deep breath to think clearly. He looked around the room he was in to see if there was another entrance into the kitchen, spotting one that would bring him in behind the men. He quietly made his way over there, easing the door open to avoid making any noises. Before he could take them out though, one of them hit the little boy with a curse, causing him to double over in pain. Harry reacted quickly, pinning them all to the ceiling and summoning their wands from them. Then he knocked them unconscious as he knelt down by the boy's side.

Like he did with the stones earlier, Harry scanned over him, trying to determine which curse was used. After about two minutes of analysis, he determined it was a rare Japanese Organ-decaying Curse that slowly destroyed your organs from the inside-out. Thankfully, he had learned about it and its counter-spell from a book Samena let him read and he quickly applied it now. Once healed, the boy gave him a smile before disappearing, his attackers going with him.

Shaking his head, Harry stood up and walked out of the coffee shop to continue the test. For the next hour Harry made his way toward the courtyard, dealing with whatever obstacles crossed his path. He had to save a group of people from a building enflamed with cursed fire, though not Fiendfyre. He had to defend against another surprise attack with two opponents. He was ambushed by two Acromantulas and three Inferi, thankfully at separate times. He even had to ward off a group of five dementors, discovering that his Patronus had changed into a feline that looked suspiciously like Minerva's animagus form, something he planned on examining closer when he had more time.

Then, he finally reached the courtyard to see Sensei Tanaka standing about five meters away from him.

"Congratulations Mr. Potter," she greeted as he came to a stop. "Now you only have to face me. I'll give you a five-minute break, so take your potion and catch your breath. Then, we will duel."

Harry nodded, before sitting down on a nearby chair. He gulped down his potion and calmed his mind. When the break ended, he got back up and stood across from Sensei Tanaka. They bowed to each other formally before beginning.

Sensei Tanaka threw the first spell, a low-powered Bombarda to gauge his reaction time before the duel began in earnest. Their bodies moved fluidly as the duel progressed, neither gaining the upper hand at first as they learned each other's battle style. She was more of a tactical dueler, casting her spells accurately and efficiently, expending only as much energy as was necessary and no more. He on the other hand was unpredictable and used his environment to his advantage, Transfiguration playing a big part in his strategy. He was also accurate with his casting.

No words were heard as they battled, but there was plenty of noise from the debris they threw around and the buildings their missed spells hit. Twenty minutes into the duel, Harry started feeling the fatigue from his busy day, despite the potion he took. His casting slowed down a bit and he was having a harder time trying to avoid Sensei Tanaka's spells. Knowing he needed to end the duel soon before he ran out of energy to fight, he tried to devise a plan that would help him win. He darted behind a large barrier for a moment to catch his breath, fortifying it with a quick spell so it wouldn't be destroyed easily.

After a minute, he'd come up with something, though it was a bit risky. _Well it's not like she's going to kill me if it doesn't work, _Harry reasoned. Resolve strengthened, Harry looked around for objects to use for his plan, locking onto four medium-sized stones in front of a building ten meters away from him. Since it would require less energy to transfigure those, Harry decided to use them. He stood up and peaked around his barrier to find Sensei Tanaka. Then he sprinted from his position, dodging the spells she threw at him. He wasn't able to miss a cutting curse that hit his left arm, but he ignored the pain, focusing on his plan. Once at his destination, he released a thick smoke around him to obscure her vision as he executed his plan. He made one alteration to it, grabbing a smaller stone to carry with him.

For a minute nothing happened, arousing Sensei Tanaka's curiosity as she wondered what he was doing. Then, five grey wolves identical to Harry's animagus form leaped from the smoke and raced towards her. She cast spells at them, but they leaped and twisted out of the way to avoid them. Harry's transfigurations were so good that it was impossible to tell which one was the real him without magic. She tried to hit them with the animagus revealing spell, but they dodged her efforts.

As they got closer, they became a bit easier to hit them and she was able to stop two of them. Neither one was him though. The remaining three kept coming toward her, spreading out to circle around her as she continued to try and get her. When he got his chance, Harry separated from the other two, transfigured the stone he'd taken with him into another wolf. Then he transformed back into a wolf, shrinking down to the size of a pup. While she was distracted, he snuck up behind her, transforming back into a human when he was close enough. She spun around when she felt his presence, but it was too late. His wand was already in motion and before she realized what was happening, he had her bound up with ropes, her wand in his left hand.

Instead of being angry about it, Sensei Tanaka gave him a small smile. "Very good Harry-san, very good indeed.

Harry bowed humbly. "Thank you, Sensei. You are a very formidable opponent."

"As are you. Now if you would just untie me, we can go meet with the others."

Harry did as was asked and the two of them left the room. Those who had been in the viewing room were waiting outside in the hallway for them.

"That was incredible to watch, Harry. Absolutely brilliant," Rupert gushed as he walked over to shake Harry's hand energetically.

"Yes, you were truly a wonder to watch," Professor Khan agreed.

"Thank you," Harry replied, feeling good about how he did as well.

Minerva and Tonks were silent for the moment, though Harry could see their pride for him in their eyes. Once Rupert got over his excitement, he led the three visitors back to his office. Then Rupert the other proctors left to finish grading Harry's tests.

"See Harry, we told you there was nothing to worry about. You were bloody amazing in there," Tonks said. "We'll have to show everyone your duel in the pensieve when we get back."

"I agree," Minerva said before turning to Harry. "I'm very proud of your performance in there."

"I wouldn't have been able to do it if it weren't for your mentoring," Harry replied.

"I only guided you. It was due to your hard work, focus, and dedication that you have reached this level of proficiency. Whatever results you get, you have more than earned them," Minerva countered gently.

"I… thank you," Harry said, realizing she was trying to get him to accept her compliment.

"See, that wasn't so hard Harry," Tonks teased lightly.

They sat in the room for about ten minutes longer before the proctors returned.

"This sheet has the results of your tests for you to read over on your own," Rupert stated. "But I'll go ahead and skip over that and just tell you how you did. With full consensus from all of us, we have decided to declare you a master of both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration."

Harry's mouth dropped open as he didn't expect that. Tonks was practically bouncing around in her seat from excitement. Minerva wasn't surprised though. She knew how much he deserved both masteries, having seen how much he'd grown over the past few years. He had already been talented when she started mentoring him, but now he was an incredible wizard with almost unmatched ability.

"You have far surpassed what is expected of someone at NEWT level. Your knowledge of theory and application of that theory, mentally and physically, in both subjects is at a master level," Professor Khan explained.

"Your ability to recognize a very obscure curse, known mainly in my homeland, was impressive and shows that you have studied the subject intensely. The fact that you were able to beat me, despite being fatigued, is outstanding and worthy of praise," Sensei Tanaka added.

"Therefore, we are proud to present you with masteries in both subjects. Congratulations Harry, you deserve it," Rupert concluded, handing Harry two pins and an ID card that would show his achievements, as well as his score sheets. Harry was so overwhelmed that he barely managed to say thank you.

He, Tonks, and Minerva left shortly after that, the latter two having to guide him as he was still in a daze. He didn't even notice Tonks send out a Patronus message as he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

\- H.M. –

When they arrived back at the manor, they were greeted by a round of cheers with everyone shouting "Congratulations" to Harry. He wasn't surprised by it this time, having expected them to celebrate his test results.

"Thank you everyone," Harry said. "I really appreciate all of your support." Then he made his rounds around the room, thanking each of them individually and accepting their compliments in return. The witches pulled him into warm hugs while the wizards shook his hand and patted him on the back. Then he was led into the kitchen where a veritable feast was spread out on the table, many of his favorite foods and desserts there. Everyone sat down at the table to celebrate, even the house-elves.

When the food was eaten, Harry was given a large box to open.

"What's all of this?" Harry asked curiously, not having expected them to get him anything.

"It's just a few things to help you out now that you're going to be a professor. We all chipped in together to get them," Andromeda said.

Harry opened up the box to find an assortment of things inside. There was a dark tan satchel with expanded pockets, picture frames with images of his parents, Sirius, and the whole group, a professional stationary set, tools for grading schoolwork, and a few other items to decorate his office and classroom with.

"Wow, thank you," he said.

"You're also going on a shopping trip for a new wardrobe," Hermione informed him.

"Uh… I am?" Harry asked warily.

"Of course, you are! After all, you have to get a new wardrobe for your professor look," Tonks exclaimed. She sounded a bit too excited to Harry.

"Good luck with that one mate," Ron remarked, laughing under his breath with Neville and the twins. Even Charlie and Matthew felt bad for the wizard, knowing how women could get when it comes to shopping.

"Don't worry Harry, we'll make sure you have fun," Ginny placated.

"And I won't let Tonks get carried away," Hermione promised.

"If you say so," Harry muttered. He still wasn't too hopeful about that, but realized he wasn't going to get out of it.

Shortly after that, everyone either went home or too their rooms for bed. Harry was so tired, that after taking a quick shower, he fell asleep seconds after his head hit the pillow.

AN: I will not be adding anyone else to the Hoods. There will be people who will help them, but not be part of the group. Also, I apologize to those who like Bill as a character. I do to, but for this story, he won't be the good guy.

League of Hoods Members:

Harry – Alpha

Minerva – Lioness

Hermione – Scholar

Tonks – Shifter

Andromeda – Barrister

Amelia – Monarch

Hestia – Sleuth

Fleur – Aphrodite

Luna – Oracle

Ron – Tactician

Neville – Terran (means earth)

Fred – Thing 1

George – Thing 2

Ginny – Firecracker

Charlie – Bear

Samena – Mystique

Matthew – Eagle

Arthur – Humphrey (means calm)

Molly – Matron


	15. Chapter 15

AN: I just want to thank everyone for reading and/or reviewing this story. Your comments and continued interest in this story is greatly appreciated. This will be another two chapter update. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 15

"Andy, how do you think their Occlumency shields are?" Harry asked Andromeda after their morning training session, pulling her to the side.

"You want to be able to tell them everything about Voldemort and yourself before you leave for your trip," Andromeda guessed. Samena had told those in the know that she, Harry, and Minerva would be going to Greece to collect the unicorn blood on the 16th. That was on Friday of this week.

"Yeah, I don't want to go and not be able to tell them the truth if I can help it," Harry admitted.

Andromeda thought on it for a moment. "I think they're able to more than adequately protect their minds at this point. All of them have worked as hard as they could to get where they are now. Also, most of them are still in school and have at least two more weeks to practice before they will be around those who would try to invade their minds."

"Okay, I'll tell them after the meeting then," Harry decided. He was nervous about it, knowing that the truth would likely upset them, but it had to be done. At least Samena was working on a way to get it out of him, so it was less of the death sentence it had seemed like when he first found out about it.

"Tell who about what?" Tonks asked, butting into the conversation.

"Telling everyone else about the horcruxes," Harry clarified, his voice quiet to avoid being overheard.

"Oh, well if mum thinks they're ready to protect it, then you should," Tonks agreed. "When are you planning on telling them?"

"Today, after the meeting since everyone will already be here waiting for us," Harry said.

"Good idea, though it'll be a bit of downer on our shopping trip this afternoon," Tonks remarked.

"Wait what…" Harry exclaimed, caught off guard.

"We told you about this last night Harry, keep up," Tonks said, dismissing his surprise. Andromeda could only shake her head at her daughter, knowing that she had not specified when the trip would be taking place. "Anyway, I'll just have to work a bit harder to make sure you have a fun time."

As Tonks started listing off all of the things Harry would need to get during their shopping trip, pacing across the floor, Harry groaned in exasperation. He muttered about witches going overboard as he walked off to get ready and dressed for the meeting, leaving Tonks still talking with only her mother left to listen to her. When she still didn't stop talking, Andromeda walked away as well.

It took her a few more minutes to realize that she was alone. "Wait, where did you guys go?"

\- H.M. –

Fifteen minutes before 9, Harry, Minerva, Andromeda, Samena, Hestia, and Matthew arrived at the Ministry of Magic to meet with the Hogwarts Board of Governors. All of their evidence was prepared and ready to go, with each prospective professor having a resume to prove their capabilities. Amelia and Hestia met them in front of the meeting room a few minutes later. They had left the manor earlier to take care of a few things for work. The area they were in was secluded so they didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them there and they could talk freely.

"So, they let you go after all," Harry joked.

"More like she kicked everyone out of her office saying, and I quote, 'I'd advise you all to leave before I decide there's a need for employee restructuring'. The whole lot cleared the room quick after that," Hestia explained, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Go Boss," Tonks cheered, while Harry laughed as his mind conjured up images of what the expressions on their faces would have looked like.

"They should have gotten out when I said it nicely," Amelia remarked unrepentantly.

"Well that's one way to clear a room," Andromeda noted.

"Indeed," Minerva said, amusement clear in her voice. Then she focused them back on their upcoming meeting. "Now, does everyone have everything you need?" They all checked over their things one more time before nodding their affirmation. "Good. Remember to wait for the signal before you come in."

The plan was for Minerva, Amelia, and Hestia, as Amelia's bodyguard, would go into the room first, while the others waited outside. Once Minerva had received the governor's oath that the details of the meeting would be kept secret until the first official day of school at Hogwarts, she send a patronus to let them now it was time to come in.

"Don't worry, we'll be ready," Harry said, speaking for all of them.

"Let us start this meeting then," Minerva said as she moved to knock on the door. When she heard a verbal response, she pushed open the doors and walked in. Amelia was beside her with Hestia behind them both.

All 12 of the governors were present, sitting on a raised dais arranged in a semicircle around the room. In the middle of the room on the ground level was a podium on a slightly raised platform. There was no other seating provided. The governors hadn't expected anyone besides Minerva to come so they hadn't felt the need for them. That is why they were so surprised to see the Minister walk in with Minerva. The three witches didn't pay them any mind, though as they strode up to the podium, Minerva expanding it so she and Amelia could stand behind it together comfortably.

Once everyone was situated, Minerva began the meeting. "Good morning and thank you for agreeing to meet with me today. I assure you that I'm here to discuss a matter of extreme importance."

"You're welcome Professor McGonagall, though I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say we're caught off guard. Minister Bones, I was not aware you would be attending this meeting," Governor Kent, the head of the board, replied.

"We are sorry for the lack of prior warning of my attendance, but the circumstances of this meeting require an element of secrecy. Auror Jones is here as my protection detail, though I'm sure you can understand that due to my change in status," Amelia stated.

"What do you mean?" another governor asked in confusion.

"Before we get into the reason for this meeting, there is something I must ask from all of you," Minerva said cautiously. "Because of the huge nature of the subject and its need to be kept a secret until the right time, I require all of you to take an oath that you won't reveal the contents of this meeting or anyone who attends it until the Welcoming Feast at Hogwarts."

"Nothing we discuss here can be discussed at all. In fact, no mention of this meeting can be made to anyone until the time Professor McGonagall has specified," Amelia clarified.

A few governors balked at the suggestion, but most had calculating expression on their faces.

"I believe we should assent to their requests. Neither Minister Bones nor Professor McGonagall are known for playing games. If they say the subject is serious, then we need to hear them out," Governor Greengrass declared, getting nods of appreciation from the two witches. Governor Kent called for a vote on the matter to make it fair. After bit of hesitation from some, they decided to do as Governor Greengrass suggested with only three protesting the issue.

Once they had taken the oath provided for them, Governor Kent turned back to his guests. "Now that we have satisfied your requests, will you tell us what this matter is about?"

"Of course. But first, there are a few more people who need to join us," Minerva said as she sent a Patronus message to Harry. A few seconds later, the rest of the group walked into the room. The look on the governors' faces was full of shock and nervousness, especially due to Harry's presence. All except for one. Governor Greengrass sat back with a small smirk on his face, knowing that things had just gotten even more interesting. Harry casually flicked his wand at the podium, enlarging it to fit the rest of the group.

"We have come before you today to discuss Headmaster Dumbledore's position," Minerva began once the rest of the Hoods were in place.

"Professor McGonagall brought this matter to my attention a few weeks ago. After careful consideration, I agree with her assessment of him. He is no longer fit to be the headmaster of the school and hasn't been for several years," Amelia stated.

"How could you say that? This is Dumbledore we're talking about and he has done an excellent job in that position for several years," one governor protested. The Hoods took note of said governor in case he considered going against his oath.

"We have evidence that proves he has failed to adequately protect the lives of the students over the past five years. His hiring practices are also questionable and have affected the quality of education the students have been receiving," Minerva declared.

"Please explain your evidence to us," Governor Kent said before any of the other governors could voice their opinion.

Minerva cleared her throat before beginning. "In 1991, he allowed Professor Quirrell to teach Defense, knowing that he was being possessed by Voldemort. He hid the Sorcerer's stone in the castle, knowing Voldemort was after it with the intent to use it to come back to power. In 1992 he hired Lockhart as the Defense professor, even though he was horribly underqualified for the position. Then he refused to close down the school or allow the aurors to patrol it during the Chamber of Secrets event, despite the danger the students were in and those who had already been petrified. In 1993, he let the former minister force the dementors to patrol the school, causing the students unnecessary trauma. All of which was pointless seeing as Sirius Black had managed to sneak past them in a locked prison. There was little hope that they would be able to locate him in a large castle surrounded by acres of open land. In 1994, he failed to adequately protect an underage student from being forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Even after that, he still didn't add any extra security or protection for the event, allowing that same student to be kidnapped from school grounds. It must also be mentioned that he was either unable to detect that his friend, Alastor Moody, was being impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr. or that he did nothing to stop him from carrying out his plan. Finally, during this past school year, he failed to find a proper teacher for Defense and allowed Madame Umbridge to hold that position despite her being highly unqualified. Then he stood by as she abused her power and even tortured students who she saw as inferior to her with the use of a Blood Quill."

All of the accusations caught most of the governors off guard, but it was the last one that had Governor Greengrass standing up in righteous fury. "Do you have proof that she used a Blood quill on the students?"

Harry stepped forward to show him his hand where the scar still remained from his time with Umbridge. "I was her favorite target, but not the only one. If it weren't for the help of Hogwarts's house-elves, it would have been much worse."

"Minister Bones, are you planning on charging that woman for her atrocities?" Lord Greengrass demanded.

"I will be attending to that matter very shortly," Amelia promised. In fact, she had ordered the woman to meet with her today.

Trying to regain control over the meeting, Governor Kent spoke up. "These charges are very serious. Before we start making any decisions, is there any other evidence you have against Dumbledore?"

Amelia wrapped up the argument Minerva had been making. "There is one more questionable hire to discuss. In 1981, he hired Severus Snape as the Potions Professor. While the wizard is good at making potions, he does not have the temperament to teach any class. Over the years, several students have made complaints about the man's lack of actual teaching, favoritism to Slytherin students, and cruelty to all other students. That's not even including the fact that Snape was a death eater who only got off on Dumbledore's word. Despite all of this, Dumbledore has protected him to the detriment of the students and because of that, Snape has single-handedly decreased the number of qualified potion-makers, healers and aurors we have in this country.

After pausing for a second, Amelia glanced at Harry, speaking once she had received his nod of consent. "We also have proof that Dumbledore should never again be in charge of the welfare of any child. As Lord Black's magical guardian, he has failed of perform even the basic duties that position requires. Dumbledore allowed Lord Black to be systematically abused mentally, emotionally, and physically by the family of his mother's sister. Not once did Dumbledore check in on him to ensure his safety and wellbeing or even attempt to prepare him for his life in our world. In fact, Lord Black knew nothing about his parents or his heritage until he received his letter from Hogwarts. Dumbledore even lied to Professor McGonagall whenever she asked after Lord Black's welfare, claiming he was safe and happy when the reality was the exact opposite. When Lord Black brought his abuse to Dumbledore's attention at the end of his first year at Hogwarts, the man ignored it and continued to send him back there every summer. He didn't even try to talk to Lord Black's relatives or curb their abuse at all. These actions prove that Dumbledore is not only unfit to be Headmaster of Hogwarts but shouldn't be around children or in charge of their care at all."

Minerva passed out the physical evidence they had brought with them to the governors as Amelia spoke. When Amelia was finished, they started reading over it. After about ten minutes, Governor Kent looked up at his guests. "I am appalled by what you have revealed to us. While we knew there have been some incidents at Hogwarts in recent history, Dumbledore has always downplayed the severity of them. However, school is set to start in 20 days and I'm not sure we would be able to fill all of the positions necessary before then. If we were to go down this path, school would have to be delayed."

Governor Greengrass spoke up, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I believe that problem has already been solved for us. Professor McGonagall is the obvious choice for Headmistress. She has proven her worth several times over as the Transfiguration Professor, Head of Gryffindor House, and the Deputy Headmistress. I think it would be hard to find many who could contest her record. If it weren't for her, I'm sure the school would have fallen into ruin. Also, I'm sure that the rest of our guests aren't here just as backup."

"Thank you, and you are correct, Governor Greengrass," Minerva admitted. "Knowing that this proposal would cause many positions to open up, I and Minister Bones thought it prudent to find qualified candidates to fill them."

Amelia began to introduce everyone, giving their name and chosen position while Minerva handed out their resumes. "If you make Minerva the Headmistress, then Professor Flitwick would be a good choice for her Deputy. For History of Magic we chose Andromeda Tonks. It's time Professor Binns retires permanently. For Potions and the Head of Slytherin house, we chose Samena Easton. Snape definitely needs to go. For Transfiguration and the Head of Gryffindor house, we chose Matthew Copeland."

Amelia paused for a moment, making one governor believe she was done. "I thought you were prepared, but you seem to be missing one position, the Defense Professor," the governor interrupted smugly.

"I was just getting to that," Amelia rebuked, glaring pointedly at the governor. He could only look at her for a few seconds before backing down. "Now for the last candidate, I need all of you to keep an open mind. After much consideration, we believe Lord Black is best suited for the position of Defense Professor."

"He is a mere child! How could he possibly teach anyone when he hasn't even finished school himself," the same governor argued.

Before anyone else could voice their protests, Minerva cut them all off. Her stern tone silenced them all. "Lord Black is more than capable of teaching the students. He has come face to face with dark witches, wizards, and creatures and come out alive every time. He has survived and persevered in situations where many of you likely would have given up. And he has already proven himself to be an excellent teacher. Under his tutelage, all of the students who were part of the group known as the Defense Association, were able to pass their school tests, OWLs, and NEWTs. Despite the lack of good or consistent teaching in that subject over the years. And if that doesn't convince you, you should know he received his masteries in Defense and Transfiguration at the ICW office."

"Impossible!" the argumentative governor cried irately. "There is no way this boy is capable of that. As for his supposed survival of situations against dark forces, I'm sure they're being overstated."

Harry smirked darkly at the governor. "I have proof, in the form of memories verified by the official pensieve used for court trials. I can show them to you now."

"Are we really going to continue to entertain this craziness?" the governor replied.

Governor Kent gave the man a dark look before turning back to Harry. "Please show them to us." Harry complied, handing over the memories he'd put together. They included his adventures during his time at Hogwarts and both of his practical tests from the ICW. Amelia gave the governors the official pensieve for them to view them in, enlarging it so all could watch at one time. The twelve men gathered around it before plunging their heads inside.

Twenty minutes later, they removed their heads from it, their faces pale with mixed emotions displayed on them. There was shock, horror, disbelief, and a bit of fear. All were impressed by what he'd accomplished though, grudgingly or not. As they tried to regain their composure, Amelia handed them Harry's resume to read over.

"Before you decide, you should know there is no rule at Hogwarts setting an age limit for professors. As long as an individual is deemed qualified by the Headmaster or Headmistress and the Board, they can become one," Minerva added after they'd had time to read over it.

"Very well," Governor Kent stated. "Your points have been made. We will vote on your proposal." After a few minutes, the governors had decided by majority to go along with the Hoods' plans. Then, they went over the specifics on how the information was to be revealed during the Welcoming Feast and Amelia suggested she send a contingency of aurors to guard the school and Hogsmeade village for added security during the school year. Minerva also assured them that she would talk to the Hogwarts staff about everything before the meeting was ended.

\- H.M. –

Amelia and Hestia went back to work while the others returned to Black manor. The rest of the Hoods, except for Arthur, were waiting for them in the kitchen when they arrived.

"Did it work?" Ron asked before they could sit down.

"Ronald, give them a moment," Hermione complained.

"It worked," Harry confirmed. Those who had attended it took turns telling everyone what had happened, with Tonks adding her own colorful commentary. When they were finished, Harry took a deep breath before broaching the other, less fun subject he needed to talk to them about. "Now that Andromeda has deemed you accomplished enough in Occlumency, there is something I need to tell you. When I first asked you to join me, I told you that there was something I was holding back from you until you were able to protect your mind from intrusion. I was referring to the reason why Dumbledore has treated me like a sacrifice and why Riddle was able to survive the night of my parents' murder."

"Whatever it is mate, you can tell us," Neville encouraged, seeing how much what he needed to tell them bothered him.

Susan could feel Harry's fear and anxiety clearly due to her empath ability and tried to reassure him. "No matter what you tell us, we won't abandon you. We're here because you're our friend and leader and we care about you." Everyone else voiced their agreement with Susan.

Minerva placed her hand on his shoulder and spoke to him softly. "I can tell them for you if you'd like."

Harry shook his head. "Thanks, but they deserve to hear it from me." Then he turned back to the others resolutely. "There are these pieces of dark magic called horcruxes or soul containers. To create them, you have to perform a ritual and then literally split your soul by committing murder. Once you do, you can store that splintered piece in your chosen container. When one makes them, it gives them a way to prolong their life as they can't be truly destroyed until the horcrux or horcruxes are all destroyed. It also makes them go insane, which is why most aren't crazy enough to make them."

"But Riddle did?" Hermione guessed correctly.

"Yes, he made seven of them in total," Harry confirmed. "I discovered this one night while I was still in hiding from everyone, managing to use our connection to get memories from him. I know exactly which items he used as horcruxes."

"Do you know where they are?" Charlie asked.

"One is already destroyed," Harry said as he glanced at Ginny.

Ginny had an expression of horror as she realized what Harry was referring to. "Riddle's diary?"

"Exactly and it's amazing that you were able to fight against it for so long," Harry pointed out. "We're also in possession of three others and believe a fourth to be hidden in Hogwarts. Another one stays close to Riddle as it's his snake Nagini."

"How do you destroy them?" Fred asked.

"Normally, by destroying the container. Basilisk venom, Fiendfyre, and the Killing curse are three proven methods," Harry answered.

Hermione, the smart witch that she is, had figured out why this subject seemed to bother Harry so much. Her tone was full of horror when she voiced her realization. "He made you one, didn't he?"

Some looked at her in confusion while the others who had caught up with Hermione's realization became upset. Harry confirmed their suspicions. "Yes. On the night Riddle killed my parents and tried to kill me, he unintentionally made me a horcrux. It's why Dumbledore believes I have to die and why I share a connection with Riddle."

"But there has to be another way!" Ron protested. The others voiced their objections as well.

"There is another way," Samena announced, making them all go quiet. "It is why Minerva contacted me in the first place and it is why her, Harry, and I will be leaving for a short trip on Friday." Then she gave them an in-depth explanation of the ritual.

"'ow risky is it?" Fleur asked.

"It can be very risky if the steps are not followed properly or if Harry didn't meet the requirements. Even then, there still are no guarantees. But I can tell you that this is the best choice I know of and Harry is a better candidate for it than anyone I've read about or seen before," Samena explained honestly. "There is also the fact that he doesn't have to do it alone which can't be said for the other methods I know of."

"Are you okay with it, mate?" Ron asked Harry.

"I am. I trust Samena. If she says it's the best way to go, then I believe her," Harry replied confidently.

"So how are you gonna get a unicorn to willingly give you their blood then," George asked.

"By gaining their trust," Samena replied.

"In less than a week?" Susan asked in a little disbelief.

"I have it on good authority that Harry will be successful as long as he trusts his instincts and believes in himself," Samena replied mysteriously, sending an obvious glance at Luna.

The others looked at Luna pointedly, though the girl in question wasn't bothered by it. "That's what the nargles told me," she stated as if that answered everything.

"Anyway, now that we've dampened the mood, it's time for us girls to take Harry here shopping," Tonks exclaimed excitedly.

"But I haven't eaten lunch yet," Harry protested. He looked at the other wizards for help, but they offered none.

"Sorry Harry, but it's best not to argue against these things," Matthew remarked wisely.

"I've prepared something for you all to take with you," Mrs. Weasley said. Harry gave her a look of betrayal. "Don't look at me like that young man. You do need new clothes for your new job. It's best you get it over with now instead of dragging it out."

Harry looked at Minerva as his last resort, but she shook her head at him. Defeated, Harry allowed himself to be dragged out of the room by Tonks with Hermione, Ginny, and Susan following behind them.

\- H.M. –

"Where are you taking me anyway?" Harry asked between bites of his sandwich. They had taken a portkey Amelia had provided them with and were now walking down what seemed to be an abandoned street.

"To a shop a friend of mine's owns. Her name is Eliza, or Lizzie, and she sells all kinds of clothes and accessories, magical and muggle," Tonks replied. "Trust me, she'll be able to find everything you want and need."

"Don't worry Harry, we won't treat you like a dress-up doll," Hermione promised.

"You'll have full decision-making power over what clothes you get," Ginny said.

"We're just here to help is all," Susan concluded.

"See, so just try to enjoy it. Shopping can be fun when you do it the right way," Tonks exclaimed.

Harry sighed, realizing he shouldn't be giving them a hard time when they were trying to help him. "Alright, I promise to try and have fun."

"That's the spirit mate," Tonks replied as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. They kept walking until they made it to the end of the street. In front of them was another abandoned lot with a derelict house like the many they'd passed by. Tonks ignored the dubious looks she was getting from the others and led them around the back of the house until they were standing in front of the back door.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Susan asked hesitantly.

"It's like how you get on the platform for the Hogwarts Express," Tonks explained before literally walking through the closed door. Shrugging their shoulders, the other four followed behind her.

On the other side of the portal was a huge store with at least three floors inside of it. They walked over to Tonks who was talking to someone whom they guessed was Lizzie.

"Hey guys, this is my friend Lizzie," Tonks introduced, confirming their assumptions. "Lizzie, this is Hermione, Susan, Ginny, and Harry."

"Nice to meet you all," Lizzie greeted.

"Nice to meet you as well," Hermione replied.

"Same here," Ginny replied.

"Yeah, I really like your shop," Susan remarked.

"It's always good to meet a friend of Dora's," Harry said.

"So, you are the young man who's in need of a wardrobe then," Lizzie said, focusing on Harry.

"I guess so," Harry shrugged.

"He needs a more mature look that makes people take him seriously without him looking like a stuffy old fart," Tonks explained.

"Trying to impress a special someone then?" Lizzie teased.

"Um… kind of," Harry admitted, getting curious looks from the others.

"Well, I'm sure we can find you exactly what you're looking for. You're going in the right direction though, because that beard of yours definitely makes you look older and gives you a bit of a rugged look. In a good way of course," Lizzie said, referring to his now full goatee with a circle beard.

"Thanks," Harry said bashfully, stroking it a bit.

"Now, let's get you measured and then you can start picking out some clothes," Lizzie announced. She took out a measuring tape from her pocket, waving her wand at it. It flew around Harry's body, taking all of the measurements necessary before flying back into Lizzie's hand. "Okay, so first I need to know if you want to go with a more muggle or magical look.

"Definitely muggle. In fact, I'd rather not have any robes at all," Harry replied.

"Then you won't have them. Let's go look around and see what catches your attention," Lizzie said. She led them to the third floor where the men's department was located. They perused through the many racks and shelves for about ten minutes. Harry found a few styles that interested him while the witches made a few suggestions of their own, without trying to force anything on him. He agreed to try on a few of their choices because of that. Once he had enough things to start with, Lizzie made sure they were the right sizes before taking them to a dressing room. Harry tried all of them on without protest, discarding the styles he didn't like and keeping the ones he did.

With Harry having decided on a style, the real shopping began. He actually found himself having fun with the girls. They joked around with him, sometimes picking out things just to get a laugh out of him. However, they never tried to tell him what to wear or force him to try on something he wasn't comfortable with.

An hour later, Harry had a full wardrobe of clothes. For tops he got V-neck and crew neck sweaters, a few shawl collar pullovers, and assortment of long-sleeved, three-quarter sleeve, and Henley button up shirts. For bottoms he went with more formal jean styles and slacks. He even got a few ties, 3 suits in black, light grey, and dark grey, along with two sport coats in black and light grey. Once they had all of that, they went to the shoe section to get a few pairs of dress shoes and boots.

The last section they went to was the outerwear one. There, Harry perused over the large selection of jackets and coats before picking out a black leather racer jacket and a winter military jacket in army green with a liner that could be taken out so he could wear it during the warmer months. That last item was by far his favorite and Lizzie promised to customize it so the patch on its left breast would have the Potter and Black family crests with his first and middle initials and last name written underneath them.

By the time they were ready to go, Harry was glad he'd been convinced to go on this trip and thanked all of the witches profusely for their help. They left his wardrobe with Lizzie so she could add the necessary charms and enchantments for comfort and durability.

On the way back to their portkey point, Tonks asked Harry the question that had been on hers and the other three witches' minds since earlier. "So, are you really trying to impress her, or was that just an excuse you told Lizzie?"

"Dora!" Harry exclaimed.

"We already know about your feelings for Professor McGonagall," Susan stated.

"Wait, how did you two figure it out?" Harry asked Ginny and Susan.

"I'm an empath Harry. I can literally feel your emotions," Susan said, giving him an incredulous look. Harry chastised himself for forgetting about that fact.

"My brothers can't get anything past me, so you shouldn't think you can either. Besides, anyone who pays enough attention to the two of you could figure it out," Ginny replied.

"Just great," Harry groaned.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about Harry," Susan assured him.

"I like my teacher more than I'm supposed to. How is that not embarrassing?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Technically, she is no longer your teacher. She's your boss after our meeting this morning," Tonks pointed out.

"How is that any better?" Harry asked.

"There are no rules against the Headmaster or Headmistress being involved with their professors," Hermione informed him.

"Really?" Harry blurted out, unable to contain himself.

The four witches smiled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, Harry really," Hermione confirmed.

"I… it doesn't matter," Harry said.

They shook their heads at his obliviousness. "Are you going to at least ask her to be you anchor for the ritual?" Tonks asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Harry said causing Hermione blow out a breath in frustration.

"Harry James Potter, you need to get over yourself and ask her to be your anchor," she ordered.

"But…"

"But nothing. This is a life or death situation. If you don't have the right anchor you could irreparably damage yourself, or worse. I will not let you go into that ritual without the person best suited for that position and that is Professor McGonagall. So, either you ask her, or I will do it for you."

Harry looked at Hermione in shock before her words registered to him. He realized she was right. The stronger he felt about his anchor, the better the ritual would go. Plus, he couldn't pretend that Minerva wasn't the person he trusted the most to do this for him.

"You're right Mione. This is a serious situation and I'm acting like an idiot. I'll ask her myself," Harry agreed.

Hermione pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just don't want you to die," she whispered.

"I know. Besides, your job as my best friend is to tell me when I'm being an idiot," Harry whispered back.

"Well, now that that drama's over, let's get back before they decide to send a search party out for us," Tonks suggested. They all followed after her as she led them the rest of the way back.

\- H.M. –

While Harry was getting a new wardrobe and finding out that shopping with women could be fun, Minerva was on the receiving end of an uncomfortable conversation. She and Molly happened to be in the kitchen alone at the moment, with the others off doing their own thing. She was reading one of the books Harry had given her from his vault while Molly was reading a book on healing magic. Both were drinking tea as they read, the atmosphere peaceful. This is why Minerva was so caught off guard by Molly's questions.

"Minerva, may I ask you something personal?" Molly said, gazing at the other witch intently.

"What is it?" Minerva replied, still too engrossed in her book to notice the warning signs.

"How close are you and Harry?"

Minerva almost choked on the tea she had been drinking and had to clear her throat before she could respond. "We are friends." Her tone was cautious, afraid of where this conversation was going.

"Of course, it's just I've been noticing that the two of you seem very close." Molly's tone was innocent.

"Well I've been mentoring him since he was forced to compete in the tournament. We've spent a lot of time together because of it and it has forged a… strong bond between us." Minerva stumbled as she tried to use the right words to avoid suspicion.

Unfortunately for her, Molly was the mother of seven children, and she was used to having to read between the lines when it came to them. "I suppose that's true." She paused, making Minerva think she would drop the subject. Her next words erased that hope. "Though I do wonder why your room is on the third floor with Harry's. According to Winky, that is the family floor."

Minerva didn't know how to answer that one. When she had asked Dobby herself why she had been put in that room, his answer had not helped her. He said it was the Mistress's room before popping away with a smirk, as if that explained everything. Of course, the fact that she had done nothing to change rooms after finding out about it didn't help her either.

"So, your feelings for him go beyond friendship then?" Molly asked knowingly.

"I do not want to lie to you," Minerva admitted.

"Then don't. Harry makes it very easy to forget his age because he normally doesn't act like it. And he's unfortunately seen far too much of the dark side of life to be considered a child. Add in the interests and hobbies you both share and it is easy to see how you became attracted to him."

"I tried my hardest not to. Even now I still refuse to talk to him about it and try and keep my distance."

"I'm sure you do but fighting against your feelings of any sort concerning Harry is almost impossible. I know that personally. After all, what helped me make my decision concerning Dumbledore was the thought of how much he had made Harry suffer. That erased any loyalty I had felt for him."

Minerva looked at her in surprise. "You are not upset?"

"If we were talking about different people, I would be. However, with the way Harry's grown up and because I know you would never try to take advantage of anyone, let alone him, I am not. I want both you and Harry to be happy and while it would be a unique relationship with its own challenges, I believe the two of you could make it work."

"Everyone who figures it out keeps telling me that."

"Then why don't you listen to us and tell him how you feel."

Minerva looked away. "I don't know."

"Well I think it's time you figured it out."

\- H.M. –

Harry and Minerva weren't the only ones busy that afternoon. Amelia Bones made good on her promise to Lord Greengrass. She had called Umbridge into her office an hour after the meeting with the board on the pretext of discussing her position in the Ministry. Hestia was the only other person in the office when she arrived, giving Umbridge a false sense of security. The toad-like woman strutted into the room as if she was about to be given a promotion.

Amelia smirked internally while her face gave nothing away. Hestia stood out of Umbridge's eyesight and had no qualms about displaying her smirk, thinking, _That toad has no idea what's coming to her_.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Madam Umbridge," Amelia greeted cordially once the woman was seated.

"Of course, Minister Bones," Umbridge replied, her tone overly sweet. "How may I help you and the Ministry?"

"Before we get to that, there is some background information we need to go over. Don't worry, it's just so I can make sure I place you in the right position suited for you."

Umbridge felt a flicker of doubt at that. "What would you like to talk about?"

"First let's discuss the things you've accomplished during your time in the ministry."

Umbridge relaxed at that and began touting the things she done to help "better" magical Britain. She got so caught up in talking about herself that she failed to notice the change in Amelia's expression when she praised her more controversial measures especially the ones that attacked muggle-borns or magical beings.

When Umbridge had finally finished, Amelia pivoted the conversation to the real reason for the meeting. "What about your time at Hogwarts as the Defense professor?" Amelia was even more satisfied by the look of unease on Umbridge's face after having to listen to the woman talk just now.

"What do you want to know about it?"

"How about you tell me why you thought it was okay for you to use Blood quills as a form of punishment against the students?"

Umbridge jumped out of her seat in fear. "I, I, I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to turn around and run, but Hestia blocked the doorway. The auror had a dark look on her face, letting Umbridge know she wouldn't hesitate to draw her wand if necessary.

"Don't lie to me Umbridge. I have proof from several students that you did, all of who are either half-bloods or muggle-borns. You did a good job of making sure that the scars from your torture remained."

"You can't prove that!"

"I can and I will. You may have thought you were going to get away with it, but that was your mistake. You should have known that from the moment I took office, your days were numbered."

"You can't do this to me! I am innocent!"

"Auror Hestia, take Madam Umbridge to our secret holding cell to await trial. Only those we mentioned earlier are to know of her imprisonment."

"With pleasure Minister," Hestia said as she gleefully slapped the magic-suppressing cuffs on the abhorrent woman's wrists.

"I only gave those brats what they… ow." Umbridge was cut off by Hestia jerking her around a bit too hard.

As the two left the office, with Hestia having to silence Umbridge who was yelling empty threats at both of them, Amelia sat back in her chair with a satisfied expression on her face.

\- H.M. –

For the next two days, Harry spent hours trying to figure out how to ask Minerva to be his and anchor and possibly admit his feelings to her. After frustrating himself to no end, he decided to ask for some help. So, he went to Andromeda.

"Hey Andy, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked after he had knocked on her bedroom door.

"Of course, Harry," she replied, beckoning him in.

"Thanks, I'll try not to take up too much of your time," Harry said as he sat down in the chair beside her bed.

"There's no need to rush. What seems to be bothering you?"

"Well, I want… no I need to ask Minerva to be my anchor for the ritual."

Andromeda waited for him to say more. "Is that all?"

Harry looked down for a second. "No. I'm sure you already know this, but I like Minerva. And I mean really like her. At first, it was a simple crush in my third year. But then… then I got to know the real her and well I was kind of doomed after that. I could control it before though. Even pretend like my feelings didn't exist. But after my fight with Greyback and becoming an animagus, I can't do that anymore and it's driving me crazy." Harry stood up and began pacing the floor. "Sometimes it feels like torture worse than any dark witch or wizard has ever put me through. To be so close to her and… and yet so far. But any time I try and convince myself to just tell her, I chicken out because I'm afraid to lose her. Afraid to ruin the most important friendship I have. I can't do all of this without her. And now I'm getting ready to do this ritual and I want Minerva to be my anchor, but I don't think it's a good idea. She'll know all of my memories, even the ones I haven't really talked with her about. And that's not even counting what other side effects we might get. I just… I just don't know what to do anymore."

As Harry finished his rant and stopped in front of her, he looked so lost and her first instinct was to pull him into a motherly embrace. She knew that wasn't what he needed right now though and instead she moved to calm him down. "Come sit down Harry," Andromeda said, patting the space beside her. He did as he was instructed, plopping down onto the bed and lowering his face into his hands. Andromeda rubbed his back as she talked to him, her voice calming. "Harry, the first thing you need to realize is that everything you're feeling right now is completely normal."

Harry looked up at that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when you're in love and you haven't told the person how you feel, it can drive you crazy." Andromeda turned her body to face him.

Harry didn't even try to deny his feelings. "I'm not supposed to feel that way about her though. She's my professor, my mentor."

"And she's also your very good friend. But none of that truly matters, because the heart wants who it wants and that is especially true for people like us."

"Magical people have soulmates?"

"Not exactly. We don't form a magical bond as soon as we lay eyes on each other. However, when our magic meets someone whom it is highly compatible with, it tends to urge us to spend more time with that person. It doesn't consider any other factors, including age. We can ignore it of course, but the feelings remain. In your case, those urges are intensified because of the changes your body is adjusting to. The fact that you already like and respect her as a person and spend a lot of time with her only increases that intensity."

"So, what do I do about it then?"

"You talk to her."

"What if makes her uncomfortable and she no longer wants to be around me because of it?"

"If you truly believe that, then you don't know her as well as you think you do. Do you really think Minerva would abandon you that easily, after all you've been through together?" Andromeda's voice was stern as she chided him.

"No." Harry put his head down in shame for even thinking that of Minerva.

Andromeda lifted his head up with her finger under his chin so she could look him in the eyes as she spoke to him. "You are afraid, and that is okay. I'm not promising you that telling her will be easy. But no matter what, you will still have Minerva as a friend at the end of the day."

"I know. I'm just being an idiot as usual."

Andromeda shook her head. "No Harry you are not an idiot. Unfortunately, you did not have the childhood you should have due to manipulative old men and cruel relatives. That can make you feel insecure about things like relationships and feelings. Yet despite not growing up in a loving environment you have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known and when you trust it, good things happen. You just have to remember that when you start overthinking things, but no one is perfect. That's why you have friends and family to help you when you need it and vice versa."

"Ok, I'm going to talk to her while we're in Greece. About being my anchor and my feelings. Thank you, Andy. For listening and calming me down."

"You're very welcome."

Harry stood up, getting ready to leave but a thought had him turning back around. "You are my family, by the way. I don't tell you enough how much I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I do appreciate you."

Andromeda's eyes teared up as she got up and pulled him into a hug. "And I am honored to be part of your family. You're much better than the one I was born with."

"Ditto."

They stood there for a moment until Andromeda pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "Now, you need to go finish packing your stuff for your trip. And remember what I told you."

"I will. I promise.

* * *

AN: The Hoods are not done with Umbridge just yet and her trial won't be for a little while.

League of Hoods Members:

Harry – Alpha

Minerva – Lioness

Hermione – Scholar

Tonks – Shifter

Andromeda – Barrister

Amelia – Monarch

Hestia – Sleuth

Fleur – Aphrodite

Luna – Oracle

Ron – Tactician

Neville – Terran (means earth)

Fred – Thing 1

George – Thing 2

Ginny – Firecracker

Charlie – Bear

Samena – Mystique

Matthew – Eagle

Arthur – Humphrey (means calm)

Molly – Matron


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Second chapter of the update. Again, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 16

The next morning, training was cancelled since Harry, Minerva, and Samena had an early flight to catch. Instead, everyone who didn't live at the manor came over at around seven to send the trio off. The house-elves and Molly had even prepared some meals they could take with them so they could focus completely on their task. Everyone else wished them luck and said their goodbyes.

The trio apparated to the parking lot of the airport after they left the manor. They were flying from Glasgow International in Scotland instead of Heathrow in London to avoid the aurors that were posted there as they didn't want to be recognized. After checking in, they made it through security with no problems and found the seating area by their gate number easily enough. There was a bit of a delay though so they would have to wait for almost two hours until they could board.

"Is this normal," Harry asked.

"It happens from time to time," Samena replied.

Sensing Harry's nervousness, Minerva took him around for a walk to take his mind off of it. They looked in some of the shops near their gate, picking up a few snacks as they went. As they walked, they stood close enough to each other without holding hands showing that they were very comfortable around each other. They talked quietly to each other as they went. Minerva wasn't wearing her glamour either, since they were unlikely to run into anyone they knew in the airport. While they were in one of the clothing stores, and older woman noticed this.

"If you want the hoodie, I'll get it for you," Harry offered when he noticed Minerva's gaze lingering on a particular item.

"It does look comfortable, but I don't know where I would wear it," Minerva countered. She didn't usually wear things like it but was starting to see the appeal in muggle clothes after spending so much time around the younger witches in the group.

Harry shrugged, not seeing the problem. "Whenever you want to. It's okay to get things just because you like it sometimes."

"I don't want you to waste your money on me."

"You want it and I'm more than willing to get it for you. That's not a waste." When Minerva tried to argue against that, Harry shook his head at her and pulled the hoodie off of the shelf. He checked to make sure it was the right size before handing it to her. "See anything else you like?"

Minerva sighed lightly and gave him a small smile. "No. This is all."

"Alright let's go pay for it then."

The two of them walked toward the register but were stopped on their way by the woman who'd been watching them.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but comment on how well the two of you fit together. You make a good couple."

"I…" We're not…"

"It's okay, your secret is safe with me," the woman said knowingly. "But may I give you both a bit of advice." Harry and Minerva nodded. "Age does not always determine compatibility or incompatibility. Sometimes people just connect on another level. That connection does not care for the standards of the world and that is just fine. Anyway, you two enjoy your trip, wherever it takes you." Then she walked away without another word.

Harry and Minerva took a moment to recover from the unexpected, yet thought-provoking talk. Then Harry went to pay for their purchase and they both silently agreed it was time to return back to their gate. If Samena noticed anything off about them, she didn't mention it, only thanking them for the snacks they brought back to her. Nor did she comment on Minerva's new hoodie.

Shortly afterward the plane began boarding. They were part of the first call due to them flying first-class.

"So, this is what first-class looks," Harry remarked as they sat down in their seats. He was sitting beside Minerva with Samena in the row in front of them.

"I told you it was nice," Samena said as they got settled.

It took thirty minutes for the plane to be completely boarded. Then the flight attendants went through the safety information and the plane started moving shortly afterwards. The weather was a bit stormy outside and the plane shook a little as it started to move. Minerva noticed Harry tensing up beside her because of this. She placed her hand over his clenched fist to soothe him and eventually he started to relax a little.

"It's okay to be nervous, Harry," she whispered so only he could hear her.

"After all of the things I've seen and faced, I shouldn't be afraid of this."

"This is something you've never done before and you have no control over. It's not like flying on your broom. You don't have to rely on someone else then. That is a good reason to be nervous."

"If you say so."

Minerva shook her head at him, muttering about men and their pride issues. Harry ignored her, trying to focus on his breathing as the plane began to take off. As it started lifting into the air, Harry clenched his hand again, keeping them that way until it leveled off. Then he chanced a glance out of the window and was a bit amazed at the view. It, combined with Minerva's ministrations, calmed him down and he was finally able to fully relax.

He enjoyed the rest of the flight, especially after Minerva cast a charm to release the pressure in his ears so they stopped popping. The in-flight meal they got actually tasted pretty good and the movie he and Minera picked, called "Die Hard," had enough action in it to entertain both of them. Overall, it wasn't as great as flying on a broom, but it was worth doing again.

\- H.M. –

Once they had landed and made it through customs, which thankfully didn't take long they headed out of the airport. Samena led them toward a secluded area in one of the parking lots where they wouldn't be noticed. There she gave them the coordinates for their destination so they could apparate to the forest. A few seconds later, they arrived in a small clearing with a river to the west of them.

"So how are we going to find the unicorns and how exactly am I going to get one to trust me enough?" Harry asked after surveying his surroundings.

"Unicorns tend to stay by sources of water, so we'll follow the river until we come across them. As for getting one to trust you, I can only give you the same advice from earlier: Trust your instincts," Samena replied.

"There's no other advice you can give me," Harry pleaded.

"Only to not force it. They will come to you when they're ready," Samena said.

"But we're a bit short on time right now," Harry pointed out.

"You have to trust Luna's ability as a seer. If she says you have enough time, then you have enough time," Samena countered.

Harry groaned and turned to Minerva, but she stopped him before he could complain. "Don't look at me. I didn't even know you could get blood from a unicorn willingly until Samena told us. You're just going to have to trust what she says."

Harry sighed in exasperation. "Is there anything else I should know before we start this journey into the unknown of ours?"

"Just that unicorns aren't the only magical creatures in the forest so we should remain on our guard," Samena replied.

"Brilliant, knowing my luck, I'll run into the most dangerous creature here," Harry muttered. Then he started walking toward the west to reach the river. After taking 15 paces, he turned around to face the witches. "Are you two coming?"

Minerva and Samena looked at each other and shook their heads at him before following after him. He turned around and kept walking, though his pace slowed to give them time to catch up.

"Did he not enjoy the flight?" Samena asked wondering what was causing his grumpiness.

"No, he enjoyed it once he got over his nerves. I think he's just worried about getting everything ready for the ritual. He may not talk about it, but I can tell it gets to him sometimes. Plus, he has the habit of running into trouble without trying to and he expects that to happen now."

"Ah, that explains it."

"Don't worry, he'll apologize later once he calms down."

"I'm sure he will." Then Samena got a mischievous expression on her face. "Though it might help if you did something to assuage those worries of his." Minerva ignored the innuendo.

When they reached the river, Harry flipped a galleon to decide which way to go. It landed on heads, so they turned to the north and followed the river that way. The path along the river was filled with boulders, cliffs, and pits making it hard to walk on. To make the going easier, Harry and Minerva changed into their animagus forms. Harry even made his form larger and crouched down so Samena could ride him. As gratitude for his actions, Samena cast a spell to mask both animagi's scent and silence their footfalls to avoid being detected by other creatures.

It took them about two hours of travel before they finally caught sight of the unicorns. Several of them were gathered together on the opposite side of the river. From what the trio could see, there were 25 adults standing around and 16 foals playing by the water.

Samena hopped off of Harry and held up her hand for both animagi to stop. "We have to be very quiet now," she said as they transformed back. The river was very narrow where they were and only a few meters separated them from the other side.

"How should we approach them?" Minerva asked.

"Very slowly. We should stay on this side of the river until they notice us and deem us non-threatening," Samena instructed.

"Should we try and find another way across the river to the north or south of them?" Harry asked.

"No, once we're in their sight, we should stay that way. Leaving and reappearing behind them would only spook them even more. I doubt you fancy trying to chase after them and that won't win us any points with them," Samena explained.

With Samena's points made, the trio slowly moved forward until they reached the edge of the riverbank. They sat down in clear sight of the unicorns, drinking some water while they waited to be noticed. It took about ten minutes for a unicorn to notice their presence. When it looked up, its ears were perked and alert. Its reaction started off a domino effect and soon the entire herd was looking at them with the foals shepherded behind what were likely their mothers.

On the other side of the river, the trio remained completely still, their eyes trained on the herd. A tense silence formed over both groups for several minutes with the sound of the river fading in the background. Then, as if a spell was spontaneously broken, the unicorns returned to their previous activities. Only a few kept glancing at them periodically, but for the most part they were no longer seen as a threat.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"We should stay here for a while, eat lunch, and keep watch over them. If they don't move from there, we can try and cross the river to see how they'll react," Samena replied. Seeing no problem with that, they set things up so they could eat and rest.

"Umm I want to apologize for being short with you both earlier. You didn't deserve that," Harry spoke up.

"It's okay Harry. I can appreciate the tremendous amount of stress you're under right now. The fact that you haven't truly gone off on anyone yet shows your restraint," Samena said.

"Exactly, so all is forgiven," Minerva added.

Satisfied that his apology was accepted and that they were not cross with him, he handed out some of the sandwiches packed in their bags.

\- H.M. –

Three hours later, the herd still hadn't left, so Samena told them they should try and cross the river. Minerva found a small clearing near where the unicorns were, so they aimed for it. With Harry in the front, they slowly waded through the water, watching for any reactions. It took them about fifteen minutes to cross the few meters of water as they had to stop and wait anytime the unicorns got skittish.

Once in the clearing, which had a clear view of the herd, the trio started setting up camp. Minerva and Samena put up wards around their clearing and the magical tent while Harry fetched water and firewood. Some of the unicorns watched their actions curiously, but none seemed overtly threatened by them.

Harry joined them inside the tent once he had everything situated outside. The inside of the tent was more spacious than the one he'd been in with the Weasleys for the Quidditch World Cup. It had a living room, a kitchen, and three doors leading to the bedrooms. Samena informed him that each bedroom had its own bathroom when he asked about it.

After getting his stuff situated in the room designated as his and taking a quick shower to wash the day off of him, Harry offered to heat up some of the stew they had. Getting their agreement, he went outside and started a small fire, placing the pot full of stew over it. While he waited and stirred the pot occasionally, he watched the unicorns, keeping an eye on them in case they decided to leave. In the calm, everything else that was on his mind came to the forefront and he got lost in those thoughts.

"You know you could have done that on the stove inside," Minerva remarked as she came to sit beside him.

"I wanted to watch the unicorns, see if it would help me figure out how to gain their trust," Harry replied. He'd jumped a bit at her arrival, having not sensed her coming.

"Anything come to you yet?"

"Not really, but I haven't been at it for too long yet."

Minerva turned to look at him, studying his expression. "You seem like you're too busy thinking about something else."

"I am."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I should have asked you this the moment Samena told us about the ritual, but will you be my anchor?"

Minerva was a bit surprised. When he hadn't asked her to do it within the first few days after they learned about the ritual, she'd assumed he wanted to pick someone else. "You want me to be your anchor?"

Harry chuckled lightly. "There's no on in this world I trust more to do this for me than you. I didn't ask before because I was worried about the side effects of the bond. I didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation."

"Harry, I promised you I would do whatever I could to help you get that thing out of your head and survive this war and I meant it. We can deal with the side effects as long as you're free of Riddle's presence." She also was concerned about the bond and what it might entail but refused to let that stop her from helping him.

"Well that was easier than I thought it would be. Thank you."

Minerva shook her head at him. "You really have to stop overthinking things."

"I know. I'll try and work on it some more. Anyway, the stew is done so let's go eat."

They both got up then with Harry levitating the stew behind him. He thought about admitting his feelings to her but decided to wait for now. It didn't feel like the right time just yet. He did tell Samena that he had picked Minerva as his anchor, once they were inside of the tent. When she did the compatibility spell, the two of them glowed a bright gold. She simply explained it meant that Minerva would have no problem being Harry's anchor, though there was a mischievous smirk on her face.

\- H.M. –

For the next three days, Harry, Minerva, and Samena followed the herd around wherever it went. They travelled all throughout the forest, running into a few harmless creatures, magical and muggle, as they went. At night, they would take turns keeping watch just in case the unicorns were forced to leave as they slept. Every day the trio were able to get closer and closer to them, though they still hadn't made direct contact.

The fourth day of their trip started out just like the others, with the trio waking up and exercising before they went to make contact with the unicorns. To their surprise, this morning Harry was greeted by one of the foals who had trotted over to their campsite as they were putting everything away. It was a particularly small one, yet very brave as it had come over here all on its own. He stopped what he was doing and knelt down slowly, trying not to startle it. Minerva and Samena also noticed what was going on and stopped to watch the interaction.

"Hey there little one. What are you doing over here?" he greeted, his voice gentle. The foal neighed in response, moving closer to him. Harry slowly reached out his hand, giving it plenty of time to move away. Noticing what he was doing, the foal moved even closer so he could pet it. Happy about this change of events, Harry gently pet the little unicorn for a few minutes, enjoying the moment. While he did that, Harry examined it more closely and found out that the foal was female.

"This was fun little one, but you should probably get back to your mommy. You don't want to worry her," Harry said.

As if she understood what Harry was saying, the foal bowed her head once before trotting away. When she saw that Harry wasn't following her, she turned around as if to tell him to come on. He looked back at Samena and Minerva who silently ushered him along. Properly encouraged, he followed after the filly (a female foal) as she led him back to the rest of the herd.

One of the unicorns appeared agitated as he and the filly reached the herd, making Harry think it was his little friend's mother. He was proven correct when the filly trotted over to it, prancing happily around its feet to show that she was okay. Then she walked back over to Harry, guiding her mother to him as if to introduce the two. The mare (female horse) sized him up once she was a few feet in front of him, trying to see if he was a threat. When the filly moved to his side and started butting her head against his hand so he would pet her, the mare decided he was safe and bowed her own head so he could pet her too.

This is the scene Minerva and Samena walked in to once they finished packing everything back up. They stood back to watch, not wanting to spook any of the other unicorns and mess up the progress he was making. After he finally noticed them, Harry gestured for them to join him.

When they reached him, Harry turned to the two unicorns in front of him to make introductions. "Guys, these are my friends Minerva and Samena. I promise they won't hurt you just like I won't hurt you." His tone was soft as he spoke.

The unicorns seemed to understand what he was saying as they moved to allow the witches to pet them. The other unicorns in the herd looked up at the display, their curiosity piqued. Slowly they started to gather around the humans in a circle to get a closer look. Still they kept some distance between them as they were unsure what to make of the trio. Then a large stallion with a huge horn who was obviously the leader of the herd, walked straight for Harry. The herd moved to the side to give him passage. Once he was less than two feet away from Harry, he stopped and stared at him intently. Everyone was quiet during this moment and Harry felt like his entire existence was being examined. He remained steady though, not daring to look away from the stallion's intense gaze. It felt like an eternity passed as the exchange occurred, though in reality it was only a few minutes. Just when Harry thought he was going to be rejected, the leader moved closer and bowed his head to allow Harry to pet him.

"Nice to meet you too," Harry spoke as he cautiously stroked the large unicorn's coat.

After this breakthrough, Harry, Minerva, and Samena were allowed to spend the rest of their day among the herd. Instead of following them around from a distance, they were right in the thick of them. The foals, colts and fillies alike, especially flocked to Harry, vying for his attention anytime they could get it. He was glad to oblige and had a great time playing around with them. The filly who had come to him first was glued to his side though, not getting more than a couple feet away from him the entire day. She was the only foal of the herd still retaining her golden coat which characteristic of unicorns still under the age of 2 years. Harry considered her the bravest since she had approached him on her own, taking that leap of faith before any of the rest. He became very fond of her and even nicknamed her Aurelia after throwing out several names to her until she approved that one. Minerva and Samena spent their time with the mares of the herd for the most part, though they kept their eyes on Harry when they could. By the time they all stopped for the night, Harry was thinking that nothing would happen to ruin the great day he'd had.

\- H.M. –

Eventually, the group found a large clearing near the river to stop for the day. The unicorns were settling down for the night and the trio had already set up their tent and eaten dinner. Harry and Minerva were sitting down by the fire, Aurelia laying by Harry's side as he petted her while Samena was in the tent. The night sky was clear, and the stars were shining brightly. Feeling a high after his successful day, he decided it was time he embraced his Gryffindor side and finally talked to Minerva.

"Hey Minerva," he called out softly.

She turned her gaze from sky to look at him. "Yes."

Looking at her, he realized there was no way he could get over his feelings for her. "There's something I need to tell you. I don't know how you're going to take it, but well… you deserve to know. I just ask that you keep an open mind and let me finish before you respond."

Minerva had a hunch what he was going to say and didn't know if she should stop him or let him finish. In the end, she knew they needed to talk about it. "Okay."

"It didn't take long for me to see you as my favorite professor at Hogwarts. Part of it was because of my interest in Transfiguration, but most of it was due to who you were. The way you defended me during the Chamber of Secrets chaos only solidified that opinion. Then in my third year, I realized I'd developed a crush on you. It happened after you sat me down and talked to me about Sirius and what he'd been accused of doing. Instead of talking down to me or acting like I couldn't handle the information, you explained it all out to me like the normal human being I am, not once belittling me. You even voiced your own doubts about it. At the time, I could count on three fingers the number of people who've treated me with pure honesty the way you did."

Harry paused for a moment before continuing. "Then the next year and the tournament came, and you started teaching me in secret to make sure I was prepared for whatever I would face. It gave me the opportunity to really get to know you. I got to see your humor, your intelligence, your passion, your fiery temper that entertains me when I'm not the recipient of it. But most importantly, I learned how big your heart really is and how strong your devotion is to those you care about. That transformed my crush into something much stronger and the past year only increased those feelings. Spending time with me over the summer whenever you could get away with it. Getting me clothes that fit me, so I no longer had to wear Dudley's old stuff. Defending me against Umbridge several times throughout the year. Continuing to train me. Listening to me when I needed to vent and helping me to remain calm in spite of all the pressure I was dealing with."

Harry chuckled as he kept going, unable to stop now that he had said so much. "Then, after I pushed you away and threw every single thing you'd done for me in your face, you didn't abandon me or stop caring. The moment I appeared in front of you, you got me the help I needed and stayed right by my side as I healed. Then you talked to me. You didn't throw what I did and said in my face though. No, you forgave me without hesitation. You listened to me as I told you my worries and fears. Even after telling you about the horcruxes, you stood beside me and promised to do any and everything you could to help me. How could I not fall in love with you after that? Now, with the scar from Greyback and becoming an animagus, I can't ignore how I feel anymore."

Minerva's heart beat rapidly at his declaration. While she knew he was attracted to her, she hadn't been sure of how deep his feelings were. Harry wasn't done yet though.

"And before you respond, I know there's an age difference and I know most wouldn't approve of us, but I don't care anymore. I've decided to take what the woman in the airport told us to heart. If you don't feel the same way, then I promise this will be the last time I say anything about it to you. I value your friendship way too much to ruin it. But if you do care about me the way I care about you, I ask you to give us a chance. I know we'll have a lot we'll need to get through, but if it means a chance at happiness, true happiness, then it's worth it."

"Harry, I'm supposed to be your professor," Minerva pointed out.

"Technically I'm no longer a student. I'm a professor now."

"Then I'm your boss…"

"And there's no rule stating a relationship between us is illegal. Besides, it's not like we're going to go around broadcasting it for the world to see."

"You're still a teenager. You should be with someone closer to your age."

"But I don't want that. I want you. And before you bring it up, I'm emancipated and considered of age according to the law. Legally, there's nothing stopping us."

Minerva sighed as Harry countered every argument she tried to bring up. To be honest, she wasn't trying very hard because despite everything she wanted him. Badly. "I…"

Harry cut her off before she could give him another excuse. "Do you love me?"

"It's not that simple."

"Just answer the question, Minerva. Do you love me? And don't try and lie to me because I don't deserve it."

Minerva looked away for a moment. She knew that once she admitted her feelings to him there would be no way to take them back. She couldn't lie to him either because he knew her well enough to be able to tell whether she was telling him the truth.

Just when she was about to answer him though, a large boom sounded out around them.

Harry jumped up to his feet, wand drawn. "What was that?"

Minerva stood as well, wand in her hand. "I don't know but it came from over there." She pointed toward the forest in the northwesterly direction.

The unicorns were afraid, turning their heads in all directions as they tried to determine where the threat was coming from. Several more booms sounded out, coming from too many different directions. Aurelia had woken up from her sleep and was hiding behind Harry's legs in fright. Samena dashed out of the tent in alarm, armed and ready to fight whatever was the source of that noise. She was about to ask what was going on when several black cloaks spilled out of the trees into the clearing from all sides

"Are those what I think they are?" Harry asked, worry in his tone.

"Yes, they are lethifolds," Minerva confirmed.

"And they're not supposed to be here. They're not native to Greece because it isn't a tropical climate," Samena added.

"Let's worry about how they got here later. Right now, we need to make sure they don't try and kill us or the unicorns," Harry said.

Nodding to each other, the three of them began casting their patronuses at the threat surrounding them, both Harry and Minerva ignoring the fact that theirs resembled each other's animagi forms. The trio made sure to try and point the creatures away from the unicorns as much as possible, moving as much as they could to stand in front of the herd. Their efforts pushed the lethifolds back, but for some reason they weren't fleeing.

"I thought they reacted to the Patronus the same way dementors do," Harry remarked.

"They're supposed to," Minerva confirmed.

"Something isn't right here," Samena warned.

That something showed itself when a large pack of crups burst from the trees followed by over twenty wizards. The crups didn't appear to be normal as their eyes were glowing red and they were bigger than any either of the trio had seen. A dark energy emanated from them as well. Samena also noticed that the wizards' garb looked familiar and it only took her a few seconds to understand why once she spotted the blood red 'E' on the clasps of their capes.

"Those men are part of a secret group called the Experimentalists, or E for short. They go all around the world capturing magical creatures who they perform illegal tests on in an attempt to 'enhance' their abilities. Most countries have capture orders out on them and the more prominent ones are on the most-wanted lists," Samena explained.

"Oh, that's just great," Harry groaned. "Do you think they're after the unicorns?"

"I'm sure of it," Samena confirmed.

"We have to do everything we can to stop them then," Minerva urged.

The wizard in the middle of the group stepped forward and swept his wand out in front of him. This caused both the crups and the lethifolds to freeze their movements. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. My name is Jace and I'll give you only one chance to get out of our way or we will kill you."

Harry, angry that his conversation with Minerva had been interrupted and that the trio's and the herd's lives were in danger, had no patience for playing games. "How about I give you a counteroffer? You take yourself, your men, and your illegally modified creatures and go back to wherever the heck you came from and I won't make this a very bad night for you." Harry's cold, authoritative tone had Minerva shivering slightly with arousal, reminding her that while he was young age wise, he couldn't be considered as anything less than a man. _Why are you arguing against being with him again?_ her mind thought incredulously.

Jace shook his head at Harry dismissively, thinking his words were an empty threat. "You should have taken my offer. There will be no others." Then he waved his wand again and the creatures continued their attack. The crups bounded after the unicorns while the lethifolds swarmed the trio. Samena moved to try and help the herd while Harry and Minerva tried to keep the lethifolds back. Some of the unicorns tried to help Samena in fighting off the unnaturally aggressive crups while the others protected the foals.

After a few minutes, the enemy wizards started firing spells at them, making all of their jobs even more difficult. When Minerva stumbled over a rock as she walked backward to dodge a dark cutting curse, one of the lethifolds surged forward to take advantage of the situation. It swooped down on her and began trying to suffocate her as she fell to the ground. Harry saw this and quickly moved to help her, his mind working on autopilot. Without conscious thought, he used his elemental abilities to form a ring of fire around him and her with a barrier of air pushing out on all sides to prevent anyone or anything from reaching them. It also happened to block the wizard's view of Samena, giving her cover from spell fire for the moment. Then he sent a Patronus at the lethifold attacking her, though this one was different. Instead of the usual bright-silver translucent appearance, it was golden and much more solid as it charged after dark creature hovered over Minerva. The golden cat launched itself at the lethifold once it was close enough. Instead of causing it to back-off or flee, it caused physical damage, the cloak-shaped figure disintegrating before their very eyes. A piercing scream like none Harry or Minerva had ever heard was emitted from it and after a several seconds the lethifold was nothing more than a pile of ashes on the ground.

Harry ignored this phenomenon for the moment, rushing down to Minerva's side. She was coughing as she tried to regain her breath. "Minerva are you okay?" he asked, panic in his voice. He pulled her into his arms as he frantically examined her for any sign of injury. His hand was on her neck to feel for any bruises.

Once she'd regained her composure, she put her hand on his chest to calm him down. "I'm okay now thanks to you. I'd ask how you did that, but right now I'm just glad it happened."

"I'm pretty sure my magic reacted to my anger. All could think of was not getting to you in time," Harry tried to explain.

Minerva sat up, mostly recovered now. "Think you could do it again?"

Harry stared into her eyes intently as he replied without hesitation. "Definitely."

"Good. You destroy the rest of the lethifold. I'll watch your back."

Plan made, both of them rose to their feet. Harry dispelled the wind and fire barrier, something Minerva planned on asking him about later, before they both turned their attention on the remaining lethifold. After a nod to each other, Harry reformed his golden patronus while Minerva readied herself to defend him. Working together, the two of them were able to successfully destroy the rest of the creatures, while preventing their shocked enemies from stopping them. By the time they had finished, some of the wizards were reconsidering the attack.

"Who are you?" Jace asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

Minerva answered for Harry. "He's dark wizards' worst fear. Unfortunately for them, some don't realize this until it's too late. I'd advise you to go before you find out what that means personally."

"You won't be taking your dogs with you though since I've managed to round them all up," Samena added, moving to stand beside Minerva. Behind her all of the mutated crups were round up and enclosed in a magical barrier on all four sides.

Jace glared hatefully at both of them. "I don't care what you think or say. I'm still going to kill you and we're going to get the prize we came here for."

Emboldened by their leader's words, the wizards started attacking the trio again. Even though they were a bit tired and outnumbered, the three of them fought back fiercely, giving their enemies a hard time. Harry and Minerva incorporated their elemental abilities while Samena showed her knowledge of ancient and arcane magic, using spells her friends had never heard of before. Jace ran straight for Harry, backed up by two others who seemed to be some of the better duelers in the group. Harry had his hands full, but took the challenge head-on, showing why he had received his two masteries.

Seeing that some of the others were trying to sneak up on Harry as he fought his three opponents, Minerva took on as many of the wizards as she could. Her wand and other hand were blurs as she fought like a one-woman army, proving why she had gained her reputation. Her spells were powered by anger, yet she managed to remain in control the entire time.

Samena noticed the movements of the enemies as well and helped to distract as many as she could. She also worked to protect the unicorns from any stray spell fire, casting shield charms or finding makeshift barriers to throw in the way of it.

Within twenty minutes, only two of the enemy remained standing, the others incapacitated in one form or another. Harry had managed to knock out his three opponents and send them flying, including Jace. He saw none of them get back up. The remaining two surrendered, seeing that it was all over. Harry moved to take count of the unicorns who had calmed down once they realized the danger had passed. He took stock of their injuries, healing the ones he could and taking note of the ones that needed more experienced hands. Samena and Minerva rounded up the wizards tying them up together and destroying their wands. Once they finished, they realized Jace was not among their captures. At around the same time, Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head toward it. Jace had snuck up on the herd during the battle after he realized he was outclassed and now he was standing dangerously close to Aurelia, whom Harry had lost track of. Before he could react fast enough, the leader snatched up the little, golden unicorn and sprinted toward the forest.

With no hesitation, Harry chased after him. Since he couldn't take a clear shot without risking hitting Aurelia, he had to pursue him on foot. He didn't even think to change into his animagus form until Minerva came bounding up behind him in hers. Lightly chastising himself, he transformed as well. Within a few minutes, the two had almost overtaken Jace. In front of them, there was a cliff and they could hear the sound of a waterfall nearby. It got louder as they ran.

Feeling cornered, Jace turned around when he was a less than four meters from the edge, his wand drawn and Aurelia in his other arm. There was a wild look in his eyes and his clothes were torn and bloody as he desperately searched for a way out of his situation.

"Stay back!" he shouted, waving his wand wildly.

"Just put the unicorn down and we'll let you go," Harry tried, his voice calm though his emotions were racing.

"NO! NO! I'm in charge here, not you. You'll do what I say or one of you will die,"

"Be reasonable! You have no way out of here," Minerva said.

"I'm getting out of here, with this unicorn, and you're going to let me!" Jace argued.

Harry looked at Minerva, both silently agreeing that Jace wasn't going to listen to reason. Their actions caused Jace to panic even more and he started casting curses at them, causing them to have to shield and duck out of the way. He was outnumbered though, and Harry and Minerva were able to gain ground on him soon enough even without being able to fire any spells back at him. Jace was unable to focus much on Aurelia as he tried to fend of the duo and when she got her chance, the little unicorn squirmed her way out of his arms. Harry reacted quickly to this, dashing forward to get her as Aurelia ran toward him. Unfortunately, Jace noticed this sent a curse of unknown origin at Harry to try and stop him. It hit Harry just as he managed to wrap Aurelia in his arms, sending both of them in the air in the direction of the cliff edge. Before Minerva could react, they were flying over the edge and into the unknown.

"Harry!"

* * *

AN: Hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger. I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long.

League of Hoods Members:

Harry – Alpha

Minerva – Lioness

Hermione – Scholar

Tonks – Shifter

Andromeda – Barrister

Amelia – Monarch

Hestia – Sleuth

Fleur – Aphrodite

Luna – Oracle

Ron – Tactician

Neville – Terran (means earth)

Fred – Thing 1

George – Thing 2

Ginny – Firecracker

Charlie – Bear

Samena – Mystique

Matthew – Eagle

Arthur – Humphrey (means calm)

Molly – Matron


	17. Chapter 17

AN: As always, I thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. On a serious note, I hope everyone's being careful during this health pandemic and taking all of the necessary precautions that you can. If anyone's sick with the virus, I hope that you get better soon.

* * *

Chapter 17

_Jace was unable to focus much on Aurelia as he tried to fend of the duo and when she got her chance, the little unicorn squirmed her way out of his arms. Harry reacted quickly to this, dashing forward to get her as Aurelia ran toward him. Unfortunately, Jace noticed this sent a curse of unknown origin at Harry to try and stop him. It hit Harry just as he managed to wrap Aurelia in his arms, sending both of them in the air in the direction of the cliff edge. Before Minerva could react, they were flying over the edge and into the unknown._

"_Harry!"_

Minerva didn't have much time to contemplate Harry and Aurelia's fate as Jace reengaged her in battle. His attacks were ferocious and more accurate now that he believed he had the upper hand again. Minerva fought back mechanically as she tried to calm down the panic that gripped her heart. _Please don't be dead Harry. You have to survive, _she thought over and over as she blocked or dodged Jace's attacks.

Then Jace had to open his mouth, arrogance and overconfidence dripping from his tone. "Your boyfriend is dead, and you will be too if you don't give up now," he taunted. "If you stop fighting now, I promise to make your death quick." He really should have stopped talking at that point, but he didn't recognize the warning signs Minerva was displaying. "Though, I'll of course have to punish you for beating my men and destroying my creatures, but I can make it worth your while. Even show you what it's like to be with a real…"

He couldn't continue because at that point Minerva had had enough of him. In righteous fury, she sent a flurry of cutting, burning, and overpowered stinging hexes right at him. Caught off guard, he was unable to stop, dodge, or shield against them. Every single one hit their mark, causing him extreme pain, especially in a certain private area. While he was distracted, she conjured up a block of concrete around his standing form, encasing his entire body except for his head in it. He couldn't move an inch.

"You let me out right now, you stupid…" Jace yelled. His words were cut off as Minerva made the concrete around him tighter, squeezing his body painfully. It didn't break any of his bones, though his wand did get crushed. For good measure, she silenced him, so she no longer had to hear his voice. It grated on her already frayed nerves and she was afraid she might not be able to stop herself if he insulted her or Harry again.

"You better hope he and the unicorn lives. Because if they don't, prison will be the least of your worries," she spat. "And by the way, he is much more of a man than you could ever hope to be." Then she ran over to the cliff's edge. She searched desperately for any sight of Harry and Aurelia. After fifteen minutes though, she found no sign of them.

\- H.M. –

While Minerva was dealing with Jace, Harry was trying to figure out a way to save himself and Aurelia. The river they had splashed into was carrying them rapidly toward the waterfall, which appeared to have a rather large drop from what Harry could see. He tried to move them closer to the shore to the left of them, but it was impossible at the moment. Whatever spell Jace had hit him with was causing a paralysis that was getting increasingly worse as time went on. It was taking everything he had to fight the curse enough to be able to move even a little.

Aurelia was clinging tightly to him, well aware of the danger they were in. Harry wished he could do something to soothe her, but he was just as afraid as she was. Despite his best efforts, there was nothing he could do to stop them from falling. Instead, he tried to brace himself and Aurelia as much as he could in his limited condition.

A few seconds later, they had reached the waterfall. Before they reached the edge, they slammed into a boulder, separating them from each other. Harry couldn't do anything, helpless as the distance between him and Aurelia increased. Then he was tumbling down the waterfall, unable to control his trajectory. It felt like he was falling for several minutes. In reality, it was only about ten seconds.

When he reached the bottom, he was pulled under the water. Almost completely paralyzed except for his mouth now, he was unable to stop his descent and was sure he was going to drown. In his mind he was laughing hysterically thinking how ironic it was that after managing to survive Voldemort's attempts to kill him, an enemy he hadn't met before would be the one to cause his death.

Just when he'd lost all of his air, the water seemed to release him, and he floated back to the top, gasping for air. The river carried him on until it deposited him on a grassy shore five minutes later. He lay there, the water gently lapping over his body. For fifteen minutes, he stared at the sky, thankful he was still alive, but unsure how he was going to get back. He didn't know how long the paralysis would last or if it would even go away without someone magically removing it, so there was nothing he could do.

Despite his situation, Aurelia and Minerva were his biggest concerns at the moment. He was worried that something bad had happened to his little unicorn or that she was lost somewhere all alone. He was also concerned about Minerva being left with Jace. It's not that he didn't think she could take care of himself. He knew she could. He just didn't like the thought of her getting hurt at all. Or worse, killing someone for him. She didn't need that on her conscience.

He was too lost in his thoughts to pay much attention to his surroundings. That's why it shocked him when he felt a small, soft nose nuzzling his hand.

"Aurelia!" he gasped. "You're okay."

Aurelia nickered happily, licking gently at his fingers. Then she laid her head on his stomach to look at him.

"Hey girl, I need you to do something for me," Harry said after a moment. "I can't move my body at all right now, so I'll need you to get some help for me. Do you think you could find you way back to where the rest of your herd is?"

Aurelia wore what seemed like a thoughtful expression on her face before nodding her head once.

"Good girl. I need you to go back there, find my friends, and lead them here. Think you can do all of that?"

Aurelia nodded her head again, determinedly.

"Be careful then."

She moved closer to him, nuzzling her nose against his cheek. Then she trotted off into the forest to complete her mission. Harry released a sigh of relief.

"Now I just have to wait and hope that some animal won't come out and eat me before she gets back." Others might not have much faith in a baby unicorn's ability to complete the task. But Harry wasn't others.

\- H.M. –

Minerva realized she couldn't find Harry from the cliff edge, so she reluctantly headed back to the clearing, dragging Jace behind her. After interrogating him, she managed to get him to admit that the spell he used on Harry was a full-body paralysis curse. It was similar to Petrificus Totalus, except this one could cause permanent damage if it wasn't removed with the counter-spell within 6 hours. This knowledge only made her worry even more and she prayed to whatever deity who would listen that she finds Harry before then. Even more furious with him, she "accidentally" let him bump into many trees and rocks on the way back, taking a small amount of pleasure in his pain.

Samena met her at the entrance of the clearing. "Thank goodness your back Minnie! You guys had me worried there for a… wait, where's Harry and Aurelia?"

Minerva tried to control her emotions, but her voice still wavered some. "He… He was trying to get to Aurelia. Just as he reached her, this bastard hit him with some kind of paralysis spell, and it sent them both flying off the cliff edge by a waterfall. After dealing with _him_, I tried to find them, but they were already too far down the river for me to see them."

Samena could see how close Minerva was to breaking down. "Let me put him with the rest and then we can figure out how to find Harry." She took over the levitating of Jace, harshly dropping him by the rest of his accomplices. She made sure to get the exact spell Jace had used and was grateful it was one she knew the counter-spell to. Then she asked the unicorns to keep watch over the captives before heading back over to Minerva. She led the woman to sit by the fire, bringing her a cup of tea a moment later.

"I can't lose him too, Samena. I don't think I'll recover from that. Not this time," Minerva said after she drunk some of her tea.

"Then stop talking like you've already lost him. Harry knows how to survive. Either we'll find him, or he'll find us. We just have to calm down and think clearly."

"You know he told me he's in love with me. Before those bastards arrived. I didn't know how to respond and gave him excuses for why we couldn't be together, but he saw right through them. Right through me. Then he asked me if I loved him. I was about to answer him until they showed up."

"What were you going to tell him?"

"I… I couldn't lie to him. He said he didn't deserve that, and he was right. I love him and that scares me. I wish I would have just told him that. Now I…"

Samena shook her head at Minerva and cut her off. "Now you will have to tell him you love him after we find him."

Minerva took a deep breath, releasing all of her fear and worry to clear her mind. Samena was right. She could feel that he was still alive. She just had to find him. "Okay where do you think we should go first?"

Samena chuckled internally despite the serious situation. _She really has it bad for him to get as worked up as she is_, she thought before answering the question. "Did you see any way down the cliff where you were?"

"No, though it wouldn't hurt to look again. I was more focused on the river and the waterfall than the cliff itself."

"Let's go then."

Samena placed a few wards around the campsite to alert her if any try to enter it before following after Minerva. Once they reached the cliff, they spread out and started examining the area around it. An hour later, both witches came to the conclusion it would take a long walk to find their way down and around to the bottom of the waterfall. Especially when they didn't even know where to start. Needing to regroup, they went back to camp.

Minerva felt like throwing something out of frustration. "It's already been almost three hours and we have no idea where to start looking for them. If Matthew was here. He could fly around and search for them."

"I think we should split up," Samena said. "One of us needs to find a way to the bottom of the waterfall and the other needs to stay here in case he or Aurelia come back."

"So, who should do what?"

Before Samena could answer, her proximity wards went off. She got up and went to investigate it, followed by Minerva. Both hoped it was Harry. When they got there, it wasn't Harry waiting for them, but it was the next best thing. Aurelia stood there, poking the invisible barrier with her hoof as she tried to get inside. Samena quickly made a hole to allow the little unicorn entrance, who ran straight for her mother. The two unicorns greeted each other happily for a moment, Minerva and Samena standing to the side. Once she was done, Aurelia turned around and ran to Minerva, neighing urgently to get her attention.

"Do you know where Harry is?" Minerva asked as she knelt down in front of Aurelia. When she nodded her head, Minerva asked another question. "Can you take us to him?"

Aurelia nodded again before taking off to cross back through the ward line. When the witches didn't follow her immediately, she turned around, urging them to come. Samena quickly summoned her emergency medical pack, in case Harry had any other injuries. Then she and Minerva followed after the little unicorn, hoping Harry wasn't too badly off when they got to him.

\- H.M. –

Harry had been laying in the same spot for over four hours now. He was fighting sleep hard, but it was starting to get really difficult now. He had run out of thoughts to keep him busy or entertained at this point. The only thing that had kept him up this long were the sounds of the forest. He perked up, as much as he could in his condition, whenever he heard something similar to footsteps, hoping it was Minerva or Samena. He really wished it wouldn't take them much longer to find him. After all of this, all he wanted to do was get his paralysis fixed, get Minerva to admit she loved him, and go to sleep. And yes, with all the time he had to think about it, he had figured out that she did love him, even if she hadn't said the words to him just yet.

He started dozing off a few minutes later, his mind trapped between the waking world and dreamland. That's why when he started hearing faint voices, he thought it was part of his imagination. So, he ignored them, thinking the delusion would go away if he didn't pay it any attention. When they got louder, he realized they might be real and wished he could turn his head around to investigate them. It wasn't until he could clearly hear their voices and heard footsteps that he realized it was _them_. Because of his paralysis, he couldn't even talk now and was unable to call out to them, but he wasn't too worried. He knew Aurelia would lead the way.

A minute later, Minerva's face appeared above him upside down and he felt his head move into her lap. He wished he could smile at her. He wished he could kiss her.

"Harry, thank Merlin you're okay," Minerva exclaimed, stroking his hair. Aurelia moved till she was in his view as well, butting her head against his cheek.

"Don't worry Harry. I'll have the paralysis gone in a few moments," Samena called out as she waved her wand over his body.

Minerva continued to run her fingers through his hair soothingly, an act that served to calm both Harry and her. Unable to help herself, she leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. Samena pretended not to notice it.

Once Samena was done, Harry felt the curse lift and he tested out his ability to move. With Minerva watching him very carefully, he slowly sat up and moved his arms and legs around. While he was very stiff and sore, it was much better than not moving at all.

"How are you feeling?" Minerva asked, moving to sit on her knees in front of him.

"Pretty stiff and sore, but better. Thank you," Harry replied gratefully. Aurelia had moved closer to him so he could pet her, something he quickly obliged. "And thank you little one for bringing them to me. I knew I could count on you." Aurelia whinnied happily in response.

Samena smiled at him. "You're welcome. I'd advise you to try not to move too much until you've gotten some rest and you'll likely need a nice warm bath to help relax your muscles. You'll be sore for a few days, but you should be fine otherwise."

"Don't worry, I'll be personally making sure he takes it easy for the next three days at least," Minerva said, giving Harry a stern look. Harry's mind was a bit sleep addled, but he couldn't help but like the sound of that. He didn't mind being restricted for a while as long as she was his guard.

Samena smirked at them both. "I'm sure you will. Now, let's get back to camp so we can get you in bed Harry." She coaxed Aurelia to come to her while Minerva helped Harry to stand up, her arm wrapped around his waist and his around her shoulder. Once both witches had their side-along partners secured, they apparated back to camp.

\- H.M. –

Back at camp, Harry got Minerva to let him check on the unicorns quickly before she brought him into the tent. Aurelia wanted to follow them, but Harry managed to convince her to stay with her mother for the night. He promised to see her when he woke up. Samena had already retreated into her room, giving the two the privacy she felt they needed.

Once they were inside Harry's room, Minerva sat him down on the bed and went to run him a warm bath as Samena had suggested. When she returned to the room, Harry was struggling with taking his boots off.

"Let me," she said softly as she bent down to take them off herself, taking his socks with them.

"Thank you," Harry said as she got up and sat on the bed beside him, his tone just as soft. "Minerva I…"

She had placed her finger on his lips to quiet him. "I didn't get a chance to answer your question earlier, but I can now. I am in love with you and that scares me for many reasons. Some I've already voiced, but there are others. Almost losing you has made me realize that those reasons don't matter though. I have been given a second chance at happiness and it's about time I take it instead of letting it pass me by out of fear. Also, I know I can no longer hide how I feel about you anyway. At least not from you."

"So, we can try this?" Harry asked, gesturing between the two of them.

Minerva smiled at him and moved closer, placing her hand on his cheek. "Yes, we can explore this side of our relationship. I just ask that no matter what happens we remain friends. I value our friendship more than any other I have and would hate to lose it."

"Deal!" Harry exclaimed, showing his youthfulness for once. "I mean yes. I don't want to lose your friendship either."

She could only chuckle at him. "Now come. You need to take your bath so you can get some sleep."

"Not before I do this," Harry said.

Minerva looked at him in confusion until he started leaning into her. Seeing no reason not to, she leaned in as well, meeting him eagerly. The moment their lips connected they knew they had made the right choice in pursuing this. What Harry had intended to be a short kiss, deepened quickly as Minerva moved her hand to the back of his neck, playing with the hairs there and causing him to shiver in pleasure.

Harry moved his hands to her waist and slid them up her back, making her shiver as well. He barely restrained himself from pulling her into his lap. The stiffness and soreness of his body were forgotten as he put his all into it, trying to express his feelings as best he could.

Minerva matched his passion, curling her legs up so she could get closer to him and placing her other hand on his bicep. She gripped it tightly, partly to help her restrain herself from going too far. She was a bit surprised by how good Harry was at this, knowing he didn't have much experience. He seemed to be a natural though, his lips making her body tingle in a way it hadn't in a long time.

When they finally needed to come up for air, they rested their foreheads against one another, smiling brilliantly as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Wow," Harry summed up, unable to express how good he felt.

"Indeed, but we can do more of that later. You need to take a bath," Minerva replied as she moved back. "Do you need help getting there?"

Harry moved back as well and tried to stand up on his own. He was still too stiff and sore for that though as he almost fell down. Minerva just managed to catch him before he hurt himself further.

"I'll take that as a no," Minerva said.

"Yeah, I need your help," Harry admitted as Minerva stood him up.

She walked him to the bathroom stopping in front of the tub. It was full of water with bubbles covering the surface. "Okay, I'm going to ease you into the bath and then switch your clothes off."

Harry nodded in compliance, starting to really feel his exhaustion now that all of the excitement was over with. He helped her as much as he could as she lowered him down in the water. Then she handed him a washcloth with soap already on it so he could wash himself. While he did that, she washed his hair, being careful to not get any shampoo in his eyes. When Harry had done as much scrubbing as he could, she had him lean forward so she could get to his back, cursing the Dursleys in her mind for the scars there.

Once he was completely clean, she magicked out the dirt from the water. Then she raised its temperature and poured in some healing oils to help work on his injuries.

"I'm going to let you sit in here and soak for a bit while I go take my own shower. Hopefully the oils and warm water will make you feel better," Minerva informed him. Harry nodded to show he heard her. She made sure the water level wasn't too high and that his head and neck was comfortable enough since she knew he would likely drift off before going to her own room.

Minerva was on her way back to Harry when Samena stopped her, having been sitting on the couch in the living room.

"How is he?" Samena asked.

"He's doing okay, all things considered. Just very stiff, sore, and exhausted. Hopefully some of that will go away after his soak in the tub," Minerva replied. "And before you ask, yes I did talk to him and we are going to try this relationship. We also kissed and it was… very nice." She couldn't help but smile as she mentioned the last part.

Samena smiled as well, happy to see her friend opening herself up to life. "It's about time!" she exclaimed as Minerva rolled her eyes at her. "But I really am happy for you both. I won't keep you though. Both of you need to get some rest. You can give me more details tomorrow. Or rather later today."

Minerva gave her friend a short hug before returning to Harry. As she had suspected, he was sleep when she got back, and she had to gently rouse him. Getting a towel that she magically expanded to cover more of his body, she helped him stand up and wrapped it around him. Harry complied completely, not having enough energy to be embarrassed about how naked he was in front of her even with the towel covering him. He was silent as she led him to sit on his bed, waving her wand over him to dry him off. She walked over to his bag and rummaged around until she had shorts and a t-shirt for him to sleep in, switching it onto his body. Then she pulled the covers back and helped him lay down comfortably.

As she was walking away to move to the other side of the bed, Harry finally spoke up. "You're gonna to stay right?" His tone was hopeful as he didn't want to sleep without her. Not now that they were in an official relationship.

"Of course, I am," Minerva assured him gently. She climbed onto the other side and moved until their bodies were flush as she lay down on her back. Harry turned over onto his side and tentatively wrapped his arm around her waist. When she didn't tell him to move, he gripped her tighter. She moved her hands up to play with his hair, coaxing him to move his head onto her shoulder, his face in the crook of her neck.

"Comfortable now?" she asked once they both stopped moving.

"Very. Are you?" he replied, his warm breath on her skin causing her to shiver a bit.

"I am. Now go to sleep. I'll be right here if you need me," she said, continuing to stroke his hair. Within a minute he was out. Minerva followed shortly after him, feeling more content then she had in a long time.

* * *

AN: They're finally together! Thank you all for your patience as I took my time to get to this point. Next chapter will have more fluff moments between them.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: So, I know it's been a really long time since I updated. All I can say is that I had a bout of writer's block and then life got busy. But I finally managed to crank this one out. Hopefully you all enjoy it.

* * *

Harry's Minerva

Chapter 18

When Minerva woke up the next day, she felt more refreshed than she had since the night she and Harry argued at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Harry's arms were still wrapped around her waist, almost possessively so, and his face was buried in her hair. She could feel him breathing on the strands, and it brought her a sense of peace because it meant he was alive and safe. She was still in the same position on her back as well, one hand buried in his messy locks and the other on his bicep. The latter hand started caressing his arm lightly as she enjoyed being able to touch him without feeling so guilty about it.

She luxuriated in the feeling of contentment for a few more minutes until nature called for her to get up. As she tried to get up, Harry's arms clenched tighter around her. She attempted to ease her way out, but he wouldn't budge. Giving up, she tapped his arm to try and wake him. "Wake up Harry. I need to go to the bathroom."

Harry stirred after a few seconds, blinking his eyes to clear his vision. "What's the matter?" he muttered sleepily.

"I just have to go to the bathroom," Minerva repeated.

It took Harry a second to realize that his arm was wrapped tightly around her, preventing her from getting up. "Oh sorry," he said as he released her.

"It's okay. I was quite comfortable," she said, waving off his apology as she got up.

Harry stretched out his body, trying work out the stiffness and soreness he felt all over as he waited for her to return. When she was finished in the bathroom, Harry went inside, needing to use it as well.

Minerva was sitting up in the bed when he was done. Much more awake than he had been last night, he realized that she was wearing only a short, silk sleeping gown that did nothing to hide her long, toned legs. He couldn't help but stare for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" Minerva questioned knowingly, breaking him out of his trance.

"Nope, just admiring my girlfriend," Harry quipped as he moved to sit down beside her.

Minerva smiled at the reminder of the change in their relationship. Her smile turned into a look of concern when she saw how stiffly he was moving though. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better than yesterday thanks to you and Samena, but I'm definitely still sore, tired, and stiff," Harry admitted. "I tried stretching a little, but it didn't seem to help much."

"I'll have to get Samena to give you another potion for that," Minerva noted. Then an idea popped into her head and she hesitated only briefly before bringing it up. "There is something I can do for you right now that might help." She was a bit nervous about her idea because of how new their relationship was but figured Harry would tell her if he felt uncomfortable.

Harry looked at her curiously. "What's that?"

Instead of responding, she grabbed her wand off of the bedside table and wordlessly summoned something from her room. A bottle of the same oils she used in Harry's bath last night came soaring into the room after she opened the door. She made sure the door was closed once more before gesturing for Harry to remove his shirt, helping him when he struggled with it. Then she had him lay down on his stomach.

It was a testament to how unconditionally Harry trusted Minerva that he didn't protest her requests once, even though she hadn't actually answered his question. When he felt her pour the warm oil onto his back, he got excited as he realized she was going to give him a massage. The moment her hands started rubbing the oil strategically into his back, a moan of pleasure escaped from his lips. Minerva couldn't help but be satisfied at the effect she had on him.

She was very thorough with the massage, making sure to work out all of the kinks and knots she found along his body, reapplying oil when necessary. Starting on his back, she worked her way up to his neck and out to his arms, feeling the defined muscles there. Then she progressed down to his legs, moving his shorts up so she could get to his thighs. She kept going down, working his calf muscles and even his feet. By the time she had him turn around, Harry was in a state of bliss. She laughed lightly at the look of pleasure on his face and gave him a short kiss before starting on his front, moving from the bottom up. She was careful not to get too close to certain areas, wanting him to stay relaxed.

Once she was done, she sat back to admire her work. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better," Harry replied as he sat up. There was still some soreness, but he definitely wasn't as stiff as before.

"That wasn't too much too fast, right? We haven't exactly discussed the physical side of our relationship."

Hearing the unsureness in her voice, Harry was quick to reassure her. "Minerva, I might act much older than my physical age most of the time, but I still have the hormones of a 16-year-old male. It was perfect and you're amazing, trust me." Minerva shook her head at him fondly as he continued. "As for the physical side of our relationship, I'm pretty much going to follow your lead seeing as I don't really have that much experience in that area. You're gonna have to teach me."

Minerva smiled mischievously. "It's a good thing you're a fast learner. Though I have to admit, your instincts are pretty good so far."

"Really?" Harry said as he moved closer to her. "Imagine how good I'll be after more practice."

Minerva leaned toward him "Well, practice does make perfect."

"And I am definitely an overachiever, at least when it comes to the practical part," Harry said before he closed the distance between them so their lips could connect once more. Things were just starting to heat up when they heard a knock on the door.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something or waking you up, but I just thought I should check on you two since it's after twelve," Samena called through the door.

Harry laughed lightly, his head on Minerva's shoulder while she replied. "It's okay we're already awake."

"Well there's food for you in the kitchen whenever you're ready for it," Samena said. Harry's stomach growled in response to that, loud enough for Samena to hear.

"We'll be there in a moment," Minerva said. They heard Samena chuckle as she walked away from the door. Minerva kissed him one more time before saying, "Come on. You need to eat." She removed the oil from his body with her wand and handed him his shirt. Harry put it on, having less trouble with it this time, before they headed out of the room.

The table was set with a full English breakfast, a pitcher of water, and a pot of tea when they got to the kitchen. Samena sat at one end with a cup of tea in front of her. "I'd ask if you two got enough sleep, but I can see from your stress-free appearances that you did. Seems like finally admitting your feelings to each other was a good idea after all," she said pointedly.

"Yes, I should have taken your advice earlier as I feel much better now that it's all out in the open," Minerva admitted.

"Like a huge weight's been lifted off my shoulders," Harry added.

"I'm glad and I hope that in each other you can find the happiness you both deserve," Samena replied. "Now eat up. Once you're done, we have prisoners, altered crumps, and unicorns to deal with." Both did as she suggested, digging into the food in front of them.

As they at, Samena noticed something else about Harry that she just had to comment on. "Harry, I must say that you're moving around easier than I thought you would be after your ordeal." At the small blush that appeared on Harry's face, she smirked mischievously. "Oh, and what remedy did Minerva use that's making you blush."

"That's a private matter," Minerva said in her and Harry's defense. Her cheeks were also tinged pink.

"Spoilsport," Samena replied. She left it alone though, knowing that the couple were private people. That wouldn't stop her from teasing them later after they had time to become accustomed to their new relationship.

\- H.M. –

Once Harry and Minerva finished eating and all three of them got dressed for the day, Samena had them sit down in the living room so they could discuss their next moves. "So now that you two are okay, we need to decide what we're going to do with our prisoners and the modified crups. Harry, you also need to ask the herd's leader for what we came here for."

"Do you think he will say yes?" Harry asked unsurely.

"You just helped save them and rescued their youngest member after she was kidnapped. I think you have earned enough of their trust to ask that of them," Samena assured him.

"Okay, I'll go try and talk to him once we're done here," Harry said. "As for the prisoners, this may sound harsh, but can't we just leave them out here in the forest and let the creatures have them?"

"Allow nature to make them pay for their crimes against nature?" Samena clarified.

"Exactly," Harry replied. He was still angry about Minerva being attacked and Aurelia being kidnapped, and his inner wolf was demanding justice.

The three of them turned that idea around in their minds for a few minutes, until Minerva reluctantly decided to be the voice of reason. "I know they don't deserve it, but we'll have to turn them in to the proper authorities."

Harry sighed in reluctance. "Sometimes it really sucks to be the good guys."

"Yes, it does," Samena agreed. "I will take care of it though. I know someone who will make sure they pay dearly for their crimes. I also have a friend who will take care of the crups. Hopefully they will be able to reverse whatever was done to them."

"We'll defer to your judgement," Minerva said.

"Alright, that's settled then. You two can take today to rest while I take care of that and we'll leave by portkey tomorrow," Samena decided.

After that, the three of them exited the tent and headed over to where the herd was camped out. Aurelia ran to Harry the moment she saw him, stopping just short of barreling into him. He sat down beside her, feeling too sore to support himself in a crouch.

"Hey Aurelia. How are you feeling today?" Harry asked her as he stroked her coat.

She butted her nose against his cheek and gave him a look of concern.

"I'm doing alright, just sore," he replied to her obvious question.

Aurelia looked up at Minerva as if she knew of Harry's tendency to downplay things sometimes. "He really is doing much better," the witch explained, ignoring Harry's noise of protest.

"His mate took _very_ good care of him," Samena added. She laughed at the look Minerva gave her and Harry's small blush.

Aurelia turned back to Harry and gave him a nod to show she was satisfied by their answers and licked his cheek happily. Minerva helped him stand back up once he was done. Then they all continued walking over to the rest of the herd.

The rest of the foals greeted them energetically once they'd reached the herd, prancing around them excitedly. All three humans got down on their level so they could pet them. The leader stood back for a few minutes, allowing the young unicorns to have their time. When a few minutes had passed, he moved forward, nickering at the unicorns surrounding the humans to get their attention. Almost immediately, they stopped what they were doing and moved back to make room for him. Except for Aurelia who remained by Harry's side.

Harry and the others stood to their feet to properly greet the great stallion. Surprising them, the leader allowed Minerva and Samena to pet him before focusing his attention on Harry. After letting the wizard pet him, he stared intently into his eyes. Harry was confused for a moment until he felt a foreign presence in his mind, passive and non-threatening. He hesitated to let it in fully, but his instincts screamed at him to trust it.

"Hello Harry Potter," a deep voice spoke in Harry's mind once he'd lowered his shields.

"Who is this?" Harry asked, completely startled.

"I am the leader of this herd, but you may call me Zion," the voice responded.

"You can talk?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Only a select few of us can talk to humans, though we are able to communicate with each other," Zion replied.

"Wow, this is incredible."

Zion chuckled. "I'm sure it is. I did this because I wanted to be able to thank you properly for what you, your mate, and your friend did for my herd. If you three had not been here, I fear what would have happened."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad we were able to help you."

"As am I. Now, I believe there is something you'd like to ask of me."

"There is. I have a piece of a dark wizard's soul inside of me that I need to get removed. In order to do so, I am going to undertake a ritual that will purify me. It requires the blood of a unicorn that is freely given."

Zion hummed thoughtfully. "I can feel the dark presence that you are referring to inside of you, yet it seems not to have corrupted your heart. This is a gift we do not normally bestow on anyone. However, I believe that your actions yesterday and your pure heart show that you are worthy of it."

"Thank you, Zion. I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am for this gift."

"Your actions are thanks enough. The blood will not come from me though. Our youngest foal, the one you've named Aurelia, has become very fond of you. Last night, she expressed her desire to go with you and become your familiar." Harry gasped in shock. "After discussing this with her mother, I have decided to grant her request. She will be able to give you the blood you need for your ritual."

Harry was a bit overwhelmed and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I don't know what to say. I've never even heard of a unicorn becoming a familiar."

"I can tell that you've had a hard life. Yet you have not let it change the admirable person you are. While having a unicorn as a familiar is something that is unheard of and has only happened a few times in history, you are one who truly deserves it. Deserves her. I know that you will take excellent care of her."

"I promise," Harry replied, completely sincere.

"Very well. My herd will stay here in this area until you three leave."

Harry felt Zion's presence leave his mind. He focused back on the real world, noticing that Minerva and Samena were looking at him in concern.

"Are you okay Harry?" Minerva asked.

Harry nodded once to Zion before answering her. "Yeah, Zion and I were just having a discussion inside my head."

"He actually talked to you? I didn't know that was possible," Minerva said in surprise.

"It is very rare. Most either don't know about it or believe that it is a myth. You, Harry, are a very extraordinary wizard to have experienced that," Samena explained.

Harry smiled brightly. "That's not all. Zion said Aurelia here wants to be my familiar and he said she could give me the blood I need." He sat down to talk to the unicorn at his side while they digested that information. "If you really want to be my familiar little one, I'd love that."

Aurelia nodded a few times before ducking underneath his hand. She urged him to place his hand on top of her head. When he did so, he felt a surge of magic. It didn't alarm him as it was similar to what he'd felt when he bonded with Hedwig. He and Aurelia glowed to signify that it was complete a few seconds later. His new familiar licked his palm and whinnied happily, making him smile at her.

"I really shouldn't be surprised with you doing the impossible by now," Minerva remarked. "How rare is this Samena?"

Samena let out a dry laugh. "This is the first time I've ever heard of it happening."

"Wow, I really managed the impossible this time if even Samena's never heard of it," Harry laughed. He was still in shock as well, but it was funny seeing the normally knowledgeable witch baffled by something.

"Well, it's a good thing we're taking a portkey because I doubt, we'd be able to hide a unicorn on a plane," Samena said after a moment. "And now that my mind has been completely blown, I'm going to go take care of our prisoners. Try not to do anything else impossible while I'm gone. I don't know if my old heart could take it right now." She walked over to where they had left the members of the Experimentalists group tied up. She pulled out a small jar with tiny holes in the top to allow air through. With a wave of her wand, the entire group was shrunk, dropped into the jar, shaken up for good measure. Their leader, Jace, was still encased in the concrete Minerva had put him in.

Samena walked over to the crups next and shrunk them as well, putting them in a small cage she pulled out. She handled them with much more care then the men. Then with a wave goodbye to Harry and Minerva, she apparated away.

Harry looked at Minerva and burst out laughing. She followed him a few seconds later.

"I've never seen her so frazzled before," Minerva said once the two of them had calmed down.

Harry shook his head in amusement before giving her a mischievous look. "So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?"

"You are going to rest. That means no overexerting yourself whatsoever," Minerva replied sternly.

"Define 'no overexertion' for me. I just want to make sure we have the same definition in mind," Harry said cheekily.

She rolled her eyes at him, though an amused smile was on her lips. To answer him, she grabbed his hand and gently pulled him over toward the tent. When they were by the fire pit, she conjured up a soft loveseat by it and made him sit down on it. Then she sat down beside him. "This is what I mean."

\- H.M. –

Minerva was true to her word about Harry resting for the day. He was only allowed to get up to either use the bathroom or stretch his muscles. She stayed by his side, only leaving for bathroom breaks and to bring out food for them to eat. Aurelia was there with him as well, the other foals in the herd joining them periodically throughout the day. Since he was unable to get up and run around with them, Minerva conjured up a few soft, baseball-sized balls so he could play fetch with them.

Harry didn't mind the restrictions too much though. Especially since he got to spend quality time with Minerva, talking and laughing. The fact that she was wearing the hoodie he'd bought for her at the airport only made him feel better. It also didn't hurt that she used this time to help him improve his kissing technique.

In the evening, something came to Harry's mind that had him sitting back, lost in thought.

"What's the matter?" Minerva asked him, seeing the contemplative look on his face.

He smiled to allay her worries. "Just wondering how everyone will react when we get back. It's not like we'll be able to hide it from them, not that I want to."

"Neither do I and we would be doing them a disservice if we did. As for how they'll react, I'm sure we will be teased a bit by those who either knew of our feelings or at least suspected them."

He laughed at that. "I'll never hear the end of it, that's for sure."

"You and me both. But in the end, I believe they'll all support us. Some just might need time to wrap their minds around it first."

He nodded in agreement before he thought of another problem. "We'll have to hide it when school starts back up, won't we?"

"Yes. That will be best for right now. Though we should prepare in case it does come out before we're ready for it to." She gave him a sad smile. "I wish we didn't have to though."

Harry pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and tucking her into his side. "Me too. I wish I could shout to the world that I have the most amazing woman in the world." He chuckled as he spoke next. "I'll definitely have to use my Occlumency to stop myself from hurting any man that looks at you a certain way. It'll be hard not being able to claim you as mine properly."

She put her hand on his chest as she laughed. "Yours? You have a bit of a possessive streak there."

Harry shrugged, unable to deny it. "Blame it on the wolf in me. I'll try and tone it down if it bothers you, though."

"No, I actually like it," she said as she ran her hand slowly across his chest. Then she poked him lightly. "Just don't treat me like I can't do anything for myself and we'll be fine."

"Trust me, I am well aware of how capable you are. It's a big part of what I find attractive about you. I want someone who's my equal. Someone I can lean on. Someone who will challenge me and let me know when I've messed up. Someone who I can rely on to have my back no matter the danger. A partner."

Minerva leaned up until their lips were just barely brushing against one another. "Good answer." Then she kissed him, slowly. Her hand trailed a gradual path from his chest to up and around his neck until it was buried in the soft, messy locks of his hair. Harry moved the hand that was holding her down to her hip, gripping her tightly. His other arm wrapped around her to stroke her back lightly as they continued.

She kept the pace slow, showing him a few new tricks as they went on. Like with everything else, he was a fast learner, and both were soon releasing small moans of pleasure. When the need for air finally came, she moved back from him gently. She disentangled her fingers from his hair and moved it to his chin, caressing the soft hairs of his beard that he'd grown there.

"I take it that you like my beard," Harry remarked amusedly, his arms remaining around her, just in a more relaxed position.

Minerva smiled. "I like some of it."

"What would you like me to change?"

"Maybe if you only had the circle beard and removed the hair off of your cheeks?"

"That's what I'll do then. It'll probably also help the students see me as older than my age," Harry noted. "Speaking of school, are you going to keep your glamour off when we go back?"

"I think so. I'm tired of hiding myself. Anyone who has a problem will just have to deal with it."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence after that. Aurelia, who had left them to spend time with her mother, came back and sat on Harry's other side. Noticing her, he put his hand on her back and stroked her gently.

Several minutes later, he broke the silence with a question that popped into his head. "Hey Minerva, would it be okay if I called you by a nickname, something only I could call you?"

Minerva looked up at him from her position on his shoulder. "It depends on what it is."

"What about Mina?"

She turned the name around in her mind. "That is an acceptable name and something no one's ever called me before."

Harry shook his head at her formality. "Mina it is then."

"Already giving each other pet names, I see," Samena called out, appearing from behind them. She laughed as both of them jumped in shock, having not heard her apparate into camp.

"Samena don't do that," Minerva complained.

"Sorry I couldn't resist," Samena replied as she tried to get control of her laughter. "Anyway, the prisoners are facing long and harsh sentences in Greece's magical prison, which is just as bad as Azkaban even though it lacks dementors. Most won't likely live long enough to finish them. As for the crups, the friend I mentioned agreed to take them. He thinks he should be able to reverse the damage done to them."

"Well that's some good news," Harry noted.

"Do you have the portkey ready for tomorrow?" Minerva asked.

Samena nodded. "Yes, it is all set to drop us off on your lands. I also got supplies for Aurelia here, including stuff to make a stable for when she gets bigger and a small bed to keep in your room for her."

"You thought of everything didn't you?" Harry said, impressed.

"I had to make up for you, Aurelia, and Zion blowing my mind," Samena remarked pointedly. "We come here to ask unicorns for blood and we're leaving after defeating a group of animal torturers and you gaining a unicorn as a familiar."

"I told you to expect the unexpected when it comes to Harry," Minerva pointed out in amusement.

Samena gave her a look. "You didn't exactly tell me he would defy the known parameters of reality." She shook her head in exasperation as Harry and Minerva chuckled at her. "But mind being blown to the side, everything is ready for tomorrow. We need to leave early so I can start preparing the ground for the ritual since tomorrow will mark the seven days before it." She had brought the necessary potions with her, carrying them in her portable potion lab compartment of her trunk, to keep working on them during their trip.

After Harry and Minerva agreed, they all ate dinner, eating the last of the beef stew Molly had packed for them. Then Samena and Minerva packed up everything they could, setting out clothes for all three of them to wear in the morning. Harry wasn't allowed to help as Minerva said he was still on resting restrictions, but he didn't complain too much. Aurelia left to spend her last night with the herd, sleeping with her mother since it would be the last time, she would see her for a while. Harry promised that they would come back whenever they could. Once that was done, they all got cleaned up and retired for the night, Minerva sleeping with Harry. They both agreed that there was no point in sleeping separately since they were officially in a relationship now, something Samena teased them about until they closed the door on her.

Before the two of them went to sleep, Minerva had Harry trim his facial hair until it was completely off of his cheeks and to her satisfaction.

\- H.M. –

The next day, the trio were up and ready before 6 am Scotland's time. Once they had all of their stuff together, Samena folded up the tent and cleared the campfire area while Minerva shrunk everything up and put it in the pocket of her robes. Then they went to say goodbye to the herd and pick up Aurelia. They made sure to greet and pet each unicorn, not wanting to leave anyone out. Harry was piled on by the foals, all of them getting their turn to lick his cheek before Zion shooed them off of him. Then Harry stood up and bowed respectfully to the unicorn leader, getting one in return. Samena and Minerva rubbed Zion's head as well before stepping back. Aurelia nuzzled her mother one more time before trotting over to Harry's side to be picked up by him. After Harry waved his hand in a final farewell, Samena made sure everyone was holding onto the portkey before activating the it.

When they arrived at Black Manor, all of the Hoods were gathered in the kitchen eating breakfast. Harry set Aurelia down on the floor beside him as they walked toward it. Molly, who was facing the doorway, was the first one to see them.

"You're back," she cried as she leapt out of her seat and hurried to greet them. As she pulled Harry into a hug first, she didn't notice Aurelia move behind his legs out of fear at the loud sounds. The rest of the Hoods greeted them as well, getting up to pass around hugs and pats on the back. Then they were ushered into the kitchen to sit down and eat by Molly while she hurried to get them plates of food.

Hestia was the first to pick up on the extra the trio brought back with them, spotting the little, golden one as Harry walked by her to get into the kitchen "Harry is that what I think it is?" she asked, her voice full of surprise.

Harry smirked mischievously as he replied. "If you mean, is she a baby unicorn, then yes, she is. Her name's Aurelia and she's my new familiar." He then pointed out who everyone was for Aurelia while the others tried to wrap their minds around his announcement. Luna was the only one who didn't look surprised. He had just finished introducing everyone and sat down beside Minerva when Ron exclaimed, "How the bloody hell did you bond with a unicorn?"

"Language Ronald!" Molly and Hermione yelled at the same time.

"Well it's a long story but," Harry began to answer after laughing at Ron. He was cut off by the entrance of Hedwig who swooped into the kitchen and landed on the table in front of him. She gave him a piercing look, letting him know he better explain himself properly or there would be trouble. "Hey Hedwig, it's good to see you too girl," Harry tried but her expression didn't change. "Alright, alright before you get mad at me, she saved my life. I got hit with a paralysis spell and she was able to find Minerva and Samena and guide them to me. If she hadn't, the effects of the spell would have become permanent. When she wanted to come along, I couldn't leave her behind."

Hedwig continued staring at him for a few seconds longer before turning her gaze to Aurelia. The little unicorn returned the gaze determinedly, not backing down. Harry sat back nervously, hoping the two creatures would get along. Hedwig had been with him since he entered the magical world and there was no one who could replace what she meant to him. But he also had become very fond of Aurelia over the last few days.

After what felt like an eternity to him, the owl and unicorn nodded respectfully to each other. Then Hedwig hopped onto Harry's shoulder and nuzzled her head against his cheek. Harry let out a sigh of relief and began to stroke her feathers the way she liked him to. He reached his other hand down so he could rub Aurelia's head at the same time.

"Well, now that that scarily tense moment is over, I think you need to explain this story of yours from the beginning," Tonks spoke up, breaking the silence that had come over the kitchen.

With the disaster averted, the three of them began to tell the others all about their trip to Greece as they ate. When they got to the part about the arrival of the modified creatures, Charlie's knuckles tightened at the mention of the Experimentalist, having heard of them during his time in Romania.

"Who are the Experimentalists?" Neville asked curiously.

Charlie answered, his tone bitter. "A despicable group of men and women that travel around the world capturing magical creatures so they can experiment on them with no care to their wellbeing, hence the name. Three of them infiltrated the sanctuary in Romania and tried to make off with some of the dragon eggs but we managed to stop them in time."

"Having run into them as well, I can agree with that description," Matthew noted. "No better than poachers, they are."

When Harry told them about destroying the lethifolds, they were interrupted by Ron's exclamation.

"I don't think I heard you right. Did you just say you _destroyed_ the lethifold?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Don't you know by now that nothing is impossible for our great and powerful Alpha," George joked.

"Yeah, experiencing the impossible for him is just a regular day," Fred added.

"He destroyed all of them in fact," Minerva clarified.

"Yeah, I… well I was angry and it just kind of happened," Harry tried to explain.

"But you were able to replicate it," Hermione pressed. Her mind was already trying to figure out how he did it and what type of emotion he used to power it.

Harry shrugged. "I was still angry. I haven't had time to practice it though." He held up his hand to stall any more questions from Hermione, seeing the eager-for-new-knowledge look on her face. "I promise I will practice it once I'm cleared to practice magic again, though I'll need to actually face a dementor to determine if it will have the same effect on them."

"I'm sure we can arrange for that," Hestia said. "With that ability, we might be able to eliminate one of Riddle's threats for good."

"I'd ask you to teach it to the aurors as well, but it's best we keep this ability hidden for now. I still haven't been able to clear the office of all possible threats yet since most of them are likely unmarked," Amelia remarked.

"You're okay with us destroying the dementors?" Harry asked Amelia.

"I want you to destroy every last one of them if you can," Amelia replied forcefully. "They may serve as convenient prison guards, but they have a nasty habit of following any dark lord who is strong enough to offer them what they want most. As far as I'm concerned, we are much better off without them. I can hire human prison guards and make them sign magical contracts if need be."

"Good riddance!" Nym exclaimed, getting looks from everyone. "What? I hate those things."

"I'm sure we all can agree on that sentiment," Andromeda said.

"That's for sure. Third year was horrible with those things around," Susan noted. Neville nodded in agreement, having struggled with the dementor's presence that year as well.

Once they were sure no one had any more questions for the moment, the trio continued the story. There were gasps of shock when they described Harry and Aurelia's trip down the waterfall and the curse that was put on him by Jace, everyone making sure he was okay before he continued the story. There was laughter when Minerva described how she punished Jace for hurting Harry. The twins, to her annoyance and amusement, got on their knees in front of her, swearing their allegiance to her "brilliance" until their mother made them get up. No one interrupted again until Harry started describing his talk with Zion.

"Wait, you talked to a unicorn in your mind? Is there anything that's impossible for you?" Charlie asked astounded.

"How can you still get surprised by that after learning that Harry has a baby unicorn as a familiar?" Tonks asked incredulously.

Charlie gave her a look of mild irritation as he defended his reaction. "There are very few creatures who are known to be able talk to humans Dora. Unicorns aren't one of them."

"It is an extremely rare occurrence, but I've come across a couple others who claimed to have experienced it," Samena explained before Tonks could reply. "I admit that I wondered if it might happen to Harry. I was proven correct." She turned to Luna. "Did you see this happening?"

"Yes, though if I had given any of you three prior warning, it wouldn't have happened," Luna replied. "Zion had to know that you had nothing but pure intentions without any expectations of a reward besides the blood for the ritual." She looked down a little guiltily. "That's also why I couldn't tell you about the danger. You might have taken a different path and avoided it entirely, meaning it would have taken you longer to convince the unicorns to give you the blood." She kept her head down, unsure if they would forgive her for not warning them about the danger.

"It's alright Luna, we don't blame you for what happened," Harry assured her.

Minerva nodded in agreement. "I may not understand much about your ability, but I know enough to realize that sometimes knowing the future can bring worse consequences than not knowing it. Besides, what we faced was nothing that we couldn't handle."

"Exactly," Samena added.

Luna looked up at their words, seeing no anger towards her in their eyes. "Thank you."

With that moment over, Harry finished describing his conversation with Zion and his bonding experience with Aurelia. Then Samena explained what happened to the criminals and the modified creatures to wrap up the story. While everyone else took a moment to come to terms with what they heard, Samena gave Harry and Minerva a pointed look. The couple looked at each other, silently communicating. Then Harry spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

"Umm, there's something else we need to tell you and we ask that this information is kept secret from anyone who's not in this room," Harry began.

"Don't worry Harry, it'll be a Hoods' secret," Andromeda said after everyone nodded their assent. She already had a suspicion of what it was, having noticed that he and Minerva seemed a bit closer than they had before the trip. Hestia, Fleur, and Susan noticed something as well.

"Well, we know that many of you have already noticed how close me and Minerva are. During our trip, we talked things over and decided to stop ignoring our feelings and deepen our relationship," Harry managed to get out. Minerva slipped her hand into his on the table, interlacing their fingers proudly. She got a small but meaningful smile from him in return.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked in confusion.

"He means that he and Professor McGonagall are a couple," Susan pointed out helpfully.

"Oh." Ron replied simply, unable to think of anything else to say.

"And it's about time too," Tonks exclaimed happily. "If you two hadn't done something on the trip I was thinking about locking you in a room for a few hours until you figured it out."

Andromeda gave her daughter a reproving look before turning back to Harry and Minerva. "Ignoring my daughter's suggestion, I am happy for you both and wish you all the luck in the future."

"As am I," Fleur said. "I can tell zat you two genuinely care for each ozer zanks to my Veela senses."

"As can I, being an empath and all," Susan added.

"I think I can speak for everyone else when I say congratulations you two," Amelia said as she raised her cup to them, an action repeated by the others.

As Minerva and Harry looked around the table, they were glad to see not one disapproving look among their friends, young and older. Some were shocked by the declaration, but none were upset or disgusted by it. "Thank you all," Minerva replied as she and Harry raised their cups in response. "It means a lot to know that we have your support."

"Since we're making announcements here, I guess I should tell you that David finally asked me out. We're going out for dinner on Friday," Hestia informed them.

"Congratulations. I hope everything goes well," Amelia said. She was followed by similar remarks from everyone else.

Of course, Tonks just had to be different. "Oh good, that's another couple I won't have to lock up somewhere."

Harry spoke up before Andromeda could rebuke her daughter. "I wonder if there's someone I need to lock you up with Dora. That way you and he could, as you put it, 'figure it out'" The knowing look in his eye made her realize that he might actually know who she liked. She decided it was in her best interest to remain silent.

"Wonders never cease around you, do they Harry. You actually managed to leave her speechless for once," Andromeda remarked in amusement. Everyone laughed at that before Fred and George changed the subject.

"We have an announcement to make as well," George began.

"It's something we finished up for you Harry while you were galivanting in the Greek forest," Fred continued.

"Though technically it's for everyone," George clarified.

"But we thought you should get the first one," Fred concluded.

"Just show him already," Ginny cut in before they could keep going.

Properly chastised, the twins passed him a small box. Harry opened it up to find a digital watch. He pulled it out to examine it, noticing it had a few buttons with runes engraved on them. "What does it do?" he asked in confusion.

"Remember those communicators we were working on?" Ginny asked rhetorically. "Well that is it." Then she showed him her own wrist which had a thinner watch wrapped around it. Fred and George also flashed theirs. "We went with watches instead of phones since they're easier to keep up with and less likely to arouse suspicion."

"It's voice-operated, but you have to press and hold that button for it to work," Fred explained, pointing to the button in question.

"Then all you have to do is say, 'Call,' and the name of the person," George continued. "We've programmed them to respond to all of our codenames."

"To set that watch to you, you have to press that same button and say, 'I, Alpha, claim this communicator,' while channeling a small amount of your magic into it. It should glow when you finish," Ginny concluded.

Harry did as he was instructed, the watch glowing to show his success. To prove that they worked, Ginny went outside the kitchen and called Harry on her communicator. It vibrated on his wrist and the screen displayed Ginny's codename, Firecracker, on it. George told him how to answer it, which was one of the other buttons. When he pressed it, Harry heard Ginny's voice clearly as if she was standing right beside him. Surprisingly, everyone except for the twins couldn't hear her at all.

Ginny walked back into the room as Fred explained that phenomenon. "The watches are all connected on a sort of network. When you set the watch, it integrates your magical signature into that network."

"Only those on the network can hear the call, making it hard for others to eavesdrop on our conversations," George noted.

"There is also a button that controls whether your background noise is heard by whoever you're on a call with," Ginny added.

"I'm so proud of you three," Molly gushed happily. "To think you've been able to put this together so quickly."

"Yes, well done you three," Arthur expressed proudly.

"I may have to ask you to make something similar for the auror department," Amelia observed, seeing the value in the product.

Happy that everyone liked the invention, they passed out the rest of them, helping them get the watches set to themselves. Then everyone went in different rooms in the manor and tried calling each other to test them out. After that, those who had to go to work left, with Samena leaving as well to work on prepping the ritual space she'd picked out on Minerva's grounds.

* * *

AN: The next chapter will have more on everyone's reactions to the new couple and a difficult conversation between them.

League of Hoods Members:

Harry – Alpha

Minerva – Lioness

Hermione – Scholar

Tonks – Shifter

Andromeda – Barrister

Amelia – Monarch

Hestia – Sleuth

Fleur – Aphrodite

Luna – Oracle

Ron – Tactician

Neville – Terran (means earth)

Fred – Thing 1

George – Thing 2

Ginny – Firecracker

Charlie – Bear

Samena – Mystique

Matthew – Eagle

Arthur – Humphrey (means calm)

Molly – Matron


	19. Chapter 19

AN: I know it's been a while but I managed to get out three chapters this time. As always, I hope you enjoy and thank you for continuing to read my story. Stay safe.

Also, this first one is a bit of a filler chapter, but I wanted to show most of everyone's reactions to Harry and Minerva's relationship.

* * *

Harry's Minerva

Chapter 19

After breakfast, Harry and Minerva were surprised by a visit from Poppy.

"You two can't even go on a short trip without running into trouble, can you?" the healer said as she ushered them to the infirmary room. It had been Winky's idea as she thought they needed a designated room to keep healing supplies and for Molly to teach Susan in.

Harry laughed at her words. "Well you know me Poppy. I have to keep you on your toes and all that."

Minerva shook her head at him fondly. "Please ignore him. We honestly didn't try to, but this one here always has to play the hero."

"Who me?" Harry said in mock-surprise. "It's not my fault our conversation was interrupted by a notorious group of creature torturers and their experimental captives. Besides, you were right there beside me in the fight. I didn't play the hero by myself."

"Really? I distinctly recall you inventing a way to destroy lethifold on the spot."

"Yeah well they hurt someone very important to me, so they deserved it," Harry muttered.

Minerva couldn't help but send him a tender smile at that and Poppy picked up on it. "Wait a minute, there's something different about you two." Her eyes lit up a second later. "You finally talked to each other, haven't you?"

"Yes, we talked and we're together," Minerva confirmed.

"Yep, I managed to convince her that I'm awesome," Harry joked, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

Minerva shook her head at him but left his arm where he put it. "That's not the way I remember it."

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, details aren't important. The point is that I eventually convinced you to give us a chance."

"Only after you almost died," she countered.

"I'm pretty sure you would have given in earlier if we weren't interrupted," he challenged.

Minerva pretended to think about it for a moment. Then she wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him closer. "Yes, I would have. You had very successfully shot down all of my excuses. Not that I was trying too hard by that point."

"Just being stubborn," Harry muttered, getting swatted on his chest by Minerva who heard his comment.

Poppy, who had been watching the entire exchange smiled at them. "However, it happened, I'm glad it did. Even after only a few days of admitting your feelings and being together, I can tell that you're much happier."

"We are," they replied simultaneously.

"Well, let me quickly check you over so I can get out of your hair." Once she was done, she declared them fine, just asking Harry to take it easy for the rest of the day. Then she gave both of them a hug, congratulating them again, and left.

\- H.M. –

After he and Minerva talked to Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher, assuring them that they were just fine after his Greek adventure, Harry decided to go talk to Ron, Neville, and the twins. He wanted to get their honest opinion about his new relationship as well as spend some guy time together. They went into his study, spreading out in the seating area by the fire. Aurelia went to lay down in front of the fireplace, wanting to feel the warmth as she took a nap. Kreacher popped in and brought them some drinks and snacks.

"So, you and Professor McGonagall. How did that even happen?" Ron asked after he ate some the crisps provided.

"Honestly, it just happened. I mean I had a bit of a crush on her in third year, but it's not like I thought anything would come from it," Harry admitted.

"What changed?" Neville asked.

"The tournament." Harry ran a hand through his hair. "With most of the school against me, I spent a lot of time avoiding everyone. Since Minerva was training me, that meant I spent most of my time with her. I guess… I got to see her in a way I hadn't before. After that, it got harder and harder to ignore it. Everything she did for me during the summer and fifth year made me realize I wouldn't be able to ignore it at all. Eventually, and after a lot of encouragement, I finally decided to tell her, hoping for the best. For once, things worked out in my favor."

"Okay, I can see how you fell for her. But, and don't take offense to this mate, how did you get her to fall for you?" Ron asked.

Fred cut in before Harry could answer. "Don't you know he's the master at doing the impossible."

"Yeah, racing dragons, slaying evil werewolves, destroying lethifold, and getting amazing older women to fall in love with him is all in a day's work for our great leader," George exclaimed.

Harry shook his head at their antics. "I don't know about all that. Truth be told, I'm not really sure what she sees in me. I'm just glad she sees it and decided to give us a chance."

"Well, regardless of how it happened, it's good that you found someone who makes you happy," Neville said supportively. "Even though it's not a conventional relationship, it makes sense. You and Professor McGonagall are pretty unique in your own rights."

"I know we joke a lot, but we're also happy for you too," George said.

"Yeah. We knew it would take a strong woman to stand beside you with everything you deal with on a regular basis. I doubt you can find someone better than her to do that," Fred added.

"Thanks guys. It's good to know I can count on you." Then Harry turned to Ron. "What about you? Are you going to be okay with this?"

Ron nodded firmly. "It'll take me some time to get used to it, but yeah. As long as your happy, then I'm good." He smirked as he jokingly said, "Just don't tell me what you two do in private. She may be your girlfriend, but she's still _Professor_ McGonagall to me."

Harry chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that mate. Minerva would kill me if I even though about it." Glad that everyone was supportive of his relationship, he changed the subject to something less serious. As they talked, Harry sat back and relaxed, realizing that despite everything he'd been through and everything he would face in the future, life was pretty good right now.

\- H.M. –

Minerva meanwhile was chatting in the bottom floor sitting room with Molly and Andromeda over tea.

"Go ahead and ask your questions Andy," Minerva said after the room had been silent for long enough.

"You seem happier and more relaxed now," Andromeda noted.

"Harry does as well," Molly added.

"We are. It is easier now that we aren't hiding our feelings from each other," Minerva admitted.

"Who brought up the conversation?" Molly asked.

Andromeda looked at Minerva, realizing the answer immediately from the look on her face. "Harry did, didn't he?" When Minerva nodded, she let out a short laugh. "I guess my talk with him helped then."

"What talk?" Minerva asked.

"He came to talk to me the day before you three left, all stressed out and confused about how he was feeling and how the side effects from his encounter with Greyback were making him feel. I just gave him a few words of encouragement and advice on how to handle everything, basically telling him to just tell you how he feels."

Minerva nodded in understanding. "Then I think that, the advice we got from woman in the airport, and his good mood at getting Aurelia to come to us gave him the courage to talk to me."

"What woman at the airport?" Molly asked in confusion.

Minerva quickly went over their encounter in the airport shop, including the talk about the hoodie and how the woman gave them advice, thinking they were already a couple.

"Very wise words to live by," Andromeda acknowledged.

"Indeed, and hopefully something both of you will remember when it does eventually come out," Molly added.

"But don't worry, you'll both have the full backing of the Hoods to set the record straight when the time comes." Andromeda smirked at her next words. "After all, we have to support our Alpha and his mighty Lioness."

"Tell me, how long have you waited to say that one?" Minerva asked sarcastically.

Andromeda smiled unrepentantly. "Since we decided on the code names."

"And you wonder where Dora gets it from."

"No, I don't, but I can't let her know that." Andromeda and Minerva looked at each other for a few seconds before laughing.

Molly smiled at the two friends. "I can understand that. If the twins knew where they really get their mischievousness, they would never let me live it down."

"Yes, those two definitely need no extra encouragement," Minerva agreed as all three of them laughed at the thought.

"Well jokes aside, I am glad that you and Harry found each other. You both deserve to have someone who brings you such joy." Molly noted.

"Indeed. I haven't seen you so carefree… well ever really. Harry either," Andromeda observed.

"Thank you both for your support. I can speak for Harry when I say we truly appreciate it," Minerva replied humbly. It felt good to have friends that had their backs and accepted them for who they were.

\- H.M. –

Harry was cornered by Hermione, Susan, Ginny, and Tonks after lunch. Luna had gone home for the day to spend time with her father. Without asking him, the witches dragged him to the library so they could ask (interrogate) him about how he and Minerva finally became a couple. Aurelia, who had been with him, followed along.

"Well, tell us the whole story and spare no details," Tonks urged as they sat down. She was practically bouncing in her seat.

"Give him a moment, Tonks," Hermione admonished, though she too was eager to hear the story.

Tonks ignored her. "I've been waiting a long time to hear this story."

"Alright, alright," Harry laughed as he stroked Aurelia's coat. "The conversation started right before the attack," he began, launching into a description of their conversation. "Then, before she could answer me, Jace and company arrived."

"That explains why you were angry enough to invent a Patronus strong enough to destroy lethifolds," Susan observed.

Harry let out short, dark laugh. "That's an understatement. First, they interrupted a very important conversation, then one of them tried to kill her. The wolf in me wanted to tear every single one of the lethifolds and their handlers apart."

He shook himself for a moment to clear his dark thoughts before continuing. "As I was falling down the waterfall and I got separated from Aurelia, I worried that I would never get to hear her answer. I mean, by that point I knew it, but I wanted to hear her say the words, you know." A small contented smile formed on his face. "But then, Aurelia found me, and I knew everything would be okay." He scratched his familiar behind her ears in thanks.

"So, when did she finally tell you?" Ginny prompted.

"After we got back to the tent. I was trying, and failing, to take my boots off while she went to run me a bath." Seeing the suggestive face Tonks made, he threw a balled-up piece of parchment he had in his hand at her before continuing. "When she came back in the room and saw me struggling, she did it for me and sat down beside me. Then she told me she loved me and wanted to be with me."

"What else happened?" Tonks asked when Harry had been silent for far too long in her opinion.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked innocently.

"Don't give me that. Did you kiss? Or more?"

"Tonks! That's none of your business!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Come on, you got to give me something. I've been trying to get you two together for forever," Tonks pleaded.

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, we kissed. But anything else is none of your business. Minerva would kill both of us if I said any more than that and you know it."

"Fine, fine. Don't tell me," Tonks mock-pouted. "But seriously, I'm so glad you're finally together."

"I am too," Hermione spoke up after sending Tonks a stern look. "I already told you earlier that I thought the two of you could be good for each other and watching your interactions has only confirmed that opinion. Plus, it's really nice to see you so happy for once."

"You've been through far too much, so I'm glad you finally get some long-overdue happiness," Susan remarked.

"I agree," Ginny added. When she saw the concerned look Harry gave her, she elaborated. "I know I used to have a crush on you, but after last year I came to a realization."

"What was it?" Harry asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're too old for me. At least mentally speaking. I knew that I couldn't be the kind of person you need by your side so I decided to be as good of a friend to you as I can instead. So yes, I'm really happy you have someone now."

"Thank you, all of you. I'll need likely your help when I mess up and need advice to fix it," Harry said sincerely.

"Don't worry Harry, you can always talk to me," Hermione assured him.

"Me too. Just because your together now doesn't mean you can't still come to me for advice," Tonks added.

Ginny and Susan also voiced their support too before Harry decided to ask them a question. "So, now that my love life is settled for now, what about you girls. Anyone you got your eye on?" He waggled his eyebrows dramatically.

Tonks blushed slightly, giving herself away. "Aha, so the looks I've been seeing you give a certain someone were not part of my imagination then."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tonks denied.

"Really, but the two of you have been spending a lot of time together recently," Harry countered.

"We were best friends at school. It's been a while since we've seen each other regularly so we are just catching up," Tonks deflected.

Ginny's eyes sparked with understanding. "You're talking about Charlie, aren't you? I know for a fact that you two dated while you were in school."

"Which is why it won't work now," Tonks pointed out, not even asking how she figured it out. She was well aware of how observant Ginny could be. "We're better off as friends."

Harry's tone was kind, not wanting to pressure her. "Maybe that was true then, but now both of you are older and more mature. You've grown up and aren't the same people you were in school. You never know what might happen if you tried now."

Tonks knew he was right, but she was still hesitant. "You get yourself a girlfriend and now you're a relationship guru." Her tone was light to show she wasn't upset.

Harry shrugged. "I'm in the honeymoon phase where I want everyone around me to experience the joy that I am." He laughed with her before continuing. "Anyway, I'm just saying you should think about it."

Tonks nodded. "I will."

Harry clapped his hands before addressing the other three witches. "Anyone else want to share their feelings." At the deadpan looks he got, his expression morphed into a mock-pout. "Aw c'mon. I talked about mine, so it's only fair."

"Sorry Harry, but you'll have to figure it out yourself just like we did," Susan said.

"Please?"

"No Harry."

"So that means you do have your eyes on someone then."

"Get out."

\- H.M. –

After Harry was kicked out of the room by the girls, he headed downstairs to the living room, Aurelia at his heels. Minerva was sitting down on the sofa when he got there, and she beckoned him over when she noticed him. He plopped down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. Aurelia laid down in front of his feet, nuzzling her nose against Minerva's leg in greeting.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in concern, noticing that he was moving a bit stiffly.

"I'm alright, just a little tired," Harry assured her. "I probably just need to make sure I take a long hot shower tonight to loosen up my muscles."

"How did your friends take the news?" Minerva asked once she was sure he was alright. She absentmindedly reached down to stroke Aurelia's head, having grown almost as fond of her as Harry had. Especially since the little one had saved Harry's life.

"The girls already knew and were actively encouraging it, so they were happy for us. Ginny apparently got over her crush on me as she said she realized that I'm too old for her." Minerva laughed at him. "Yeah I guess I'm supposed to take that as a complement. As for the guys, they were shocked, but they support us too. According to Neville we are both unique people so it makes sense that we would be together. The twins see it as another example of me doing the impossible. And Ron, he's more confused about how I managed to convince you to fall for me. He's okay with us though, he's just going to need some time to get used to it."

"Well at least they support us. I thought they would since no one said anything at breakfast, but it's nice to get confirmation," Minerva noted. "Andromeda and Molly are happy for us as well, but they already knew about our feelings."

"I am as well, in case you wanted to know," Matthew interjected as he walked out of the kitchen. "A little surprised, but pleasantly so. Mind if I join you for a moment?"

"Go ahead," Minerva replied, gesturing for him to sit.

"Sometimes, I thought I'd never see you try another relationship Minerva. What changed?" Matthew asked curiously.

"This one right here did," Minerva said, putting her hand on Harry's thigh. "I thought I was done with that area of life, but he made me see differently."

"Well, I knew it would take an amazing wizard to earn your affections Minerva. And an amazing witch to earn yours Ace. Now I've been proven right on both counts," Matthew observed.

"Did you know before we told everyone?" Harry asked.

"I knew the two of you had a strong friendship, but I didn't realize it was that deep. Now that I look back though, I can see the signs," Matthew said. "You two look good together and seem to be very compatible. I wish you a long and fulfilling relationship."

"Thank you, Matthew," Minerva replied.

Matthew stood up, intending to give the couple some time alone. He said one more thing before he left. "Oh, and Ace, if you ever need any advice, you can talk to me. I know a little bit about relationships."

"Thanks, old man. I'll likely have to take you up on that," Harry replied.

When Matthew was gone, Harry stretched his arms tiredly and yawned. "You sound like you need a nap."

"I think I do. Everything's starting to catch up to me," he admitted.

"Lay down. You can take one right here. I'll just ask Winky to bring me a book to read while you get some rest."

He nodded and moved around until he was laying with his head in her lap. Minerva called for Winky once he was situated.

"How can I help you Mistress?" Winky asked when she popped in.

"Could you please bring me one of my books on my nightstand? It doesn't matter which one," Minerva answered, not even bothering to correct the elf as she knew it was her way of showing respect. Winky came back with the book and a blanket for Harry. Minerva thanked her and covered Harry up with it before settling back in the sofa with her book

"Mistress huh? I think I like the sound of that," Harry muttered sleepily.

Minerva rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Of course, you would." She ran the hand not holding her book through his hair. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake." Harry patted her thigh in response, drifting off a few minutes later.

\- H.M. –

When the others got back from work, they made sure to properly congratulate the new couple. Hestia, Fleur, and Amelia had already suspected that it was going to happen, so they simply gave their support. Luna congratulated them too, mentioning that she knew it was a possibility due to her gift. Arthur and Charlie were a bit surprised with the son more shocked than the father. Both also expressed their support though, and Arthur offered his advice as a married man to Harry whenever he needed it. Andromeda and Molly also made sure to congratulate Harry personally before the group ate dinner.

When the meal was over, Harry and Minerva excused themselves early as both were ready for bed. Harry slowed down as they got closer to his room, trying to decide what to say. Noticing his hesitation, Minerva shook her head at him. "This is no different than when we were in the tent."

"This feels a bit more permanent though. We just got together two days ago," Harry pointed out. "I mean, should I ask you if you want to move your stuff in or is it too early for that. Or maybe you'd prefer if we moved into your room. Or maybe you want to keep your stuff in your room until we're more established in our relationship or…"

Minerva cut off his babbling by placing a finger on his lip. "Harry calm down. You're thinking too hard about all of this. For tonight, let's just sleep in your room and we'll worry about the specifics tomorrow."

Harry sighed in relief. "I can do that."

"Good, now I'll go take a shower in my room and come join you when I'm done. You need to do the same," Minerva said before walking away.

Shaking his head at himself, Harry went inside his room to do as she suggested. He noticed Aurelia laying down in her bed by the window as he made his way to the bathroom. He sighed once he was in the shower and the hot water poured down on his aching muscles. He stood under it for a few minutes, letting the heat relax his body before he started washing himself. Thanks to the potions Samena and Poppy had given him and Minerva's ministrations, he was feeling much better. Still, he went slower than normal as some of the stiffness and soreness still remained.

A pair of shorts were on the bathroom counter when he got out and he quickly threw them on and went out into the room. Minerva was waiting for him on the bed. When he saw the appreciative look that she was giving his naked chest, he smiled mischievously. "Is there something wrong?"

Minerva shook her head. "Nope, just admiring my boyfriend," she remarked, echoing his words from yesterday."

Harry laughed and headed for the closet to find a sleeveless shirt. His smile changed into a look of confusion when he saw the obviously feminine clothes lining the left wall.

"Umm Mina. I think our elves made the decision that we were just discussing for us," he called out.

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked as she got up and joined him. When she saw her clothes hung up neatly across from his, she understood. "Oh. Honestly, I really should have suspected that after Dobby told me the room I was staying in, is for the Mistress. Seems even your elves were trying to put us together."

"I can ask him to move them back if you want," he offered tentatively. He decided not to focus on the fact that his elves were apparently matchmakers too.

Minerva looked at him for a moment as she thought before shaking her head. "No, as long as you're fine with it, it's okay. It was bound to happen soon anyway. And there's no point in me having to keep going to the other room to get clothes if I'm sleeping in here."

Harry nodded in agreement before realizing something. "Wait, why didn't you just tell me that a few minutes ago?"

"Because you were having a moment and needed to calm down, so I figured telling you later was better. But since my clothes are already in here, there's no point in having them moved back."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I was freaking out, wasn't I?"

"Just a little bit, but it's okay," Minerva said gently as she pulled him to sit down on the bed with her. "This is your first real relationship and it's far from a conventional one, so it's okay to be nervous or unsure about some things."

"I know, I just… I feel very unprepared compared to you," Harry remarked as he ran a hand through his hair.

Minerva pulled his hand into her lap, interlacing their fingers. "If it makes you feel any better, it's been so long since I've been in a relationship that I feel unprepared as well."

"Well I guess that makes me feel a little better. Still, I'm gonna have to work on my confidence."

"That will come in time, trust me." Minerva assured him, putting her other hand over his heart. "Besides, I fell in love with you because of your heart, not your ability to be all macho."

"Great, you're making me sound like a sap. Now I'll have to go flex my muscles and whatnot to regain my manliness," Harry remarked in amusement, flexing his other arm for show.

Minerva rolled her eyes at him. "Trust me, I will never mistake you as anything less than a man. A very good one at that. You make it impossible for me to think otherwise."

"It's the muscles, isn't it? I knew you liked them," Harry laughed.

Instead of a verbal reply, she pushed against his chest until he got the message to lay down. "I think it's time you got some rest. You're still recovering, and it seems you're a bit delusional from exhaustion."

Harry laughed again as they moved up to the head of the bed. Minerva snuggled up into his side, her arm wrapped around his waist. He wrapped his arm around her back, his hand on her hip.

"So, are you going to admit that my muscles attract you or not?" Harry asked after they were both comfortable.

Minerva slowly and deliberately ran her hand up from his wrist, to his shoulder, and down his chest, stopping at his fully formed six-pack. "I guess they are a bit of alright."

"A bit of alright. I'll have you know I worked hard to get them," Harry cried in mock outrage.

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Fine, fine. Yes, your muscles are lovely. Now will you please go to sleep. You need your rest."

"Yes Mina."

\- H.M. –

While Harry and Minerva were drifting off to sleep, Voldemort was wide awake meeting with a new ally. After suffering several losses over the last couple of months, he realized he needed to rebolster his forces before he made any more moves. The fact that the Potter brat had somehow managed to claim the Black lordship and have Amelia Bones elected as the Minister of Magic threw wrenches into his plans that he hadn't accounted for. He was also concerned about how the Hooded Stranger and then the auror department were able to foil his raids. To counter this, he decided he would only tell select people about certain plans at the very last minute. He'd strengthened his mental shields in case anyone had been subtly reading his mind without him knowing. He also performed a small ritual to give him some protection from seers. It wouldn't fully block their ability, but it would obscure what they saw. This way, either his enemies wouldn't learn about his plans or he would find out who was spying on him and could dispose of the traitor.

However, he couldn't let his enemies think he was beaten. That's why he was devising an attack that would hit multiple places at once, spreading out their forces and making them unable to stop him from causing mass destruction. While he kept the details to himself, he had put Bellatrix in charge of training the new recruits a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, he was traveling around the world looking for likeminded people who would follow him. Even with the latest blows to his power, he had still managed to convince several witches and wizards of low moral standards to take his mark. His forces now numbered in the hundreds as he had recruited dementors, giants, trolls, vampires, and werewolves as well created many dead bodies that he could turn into inferi when necessary.

At the moment though, he was meeting with a witch who could help him gain valuable inside information from the Ministry. When he reached the chosen location, a small alley in muggle London, ten blocks from the Ministry, she was already there waiting for him, a large, black bag on the ground beside her.

"My Lord," the witch said quietly as she got down on one knew and bowed her head.

"Are you ready to fully join me?" Voldemort asked coldly.

"Yes, my Lord. I have brought my tribute and am ready to prove my worthiness," the witch replied reverently.

"Show me."

The stood back up and opened the bag, revealing the muggle woman she had taken captive and tied up. She levitated the woman out and dropped her onto the ground. Then without warning, she whispered the Cruciatus curse. She used it on the woman repeatedly, holding it for several seconds at a time as she enjoyed the screams of pure agony falling from the woman's lips.

"Good. Now finish it."

"Avada Kedavra." The sickly green light crashed into the woman who knew no more. The witch fell down to her knee once she was done.

"Very good. You will be an excellent addition to my army. I will not be able to mark you right now, but once your mission is complete you will receive it. For now, continue to do what I asked of you. We will meet again on the last day of the month."

"I look forward to it my Lord."


	20. Chapter 20

Harry's Minerva

Chapter 20

The next day, after being cleared by Poppy and Minerva, Harry went into the training room to work on recreating his altered Patronus. It was still early in the morning, so everyone was there to watch him. It took him a few attempts and a bit of advice from Minerva, but soon his golden version of Minerva's animagus form appeared out of his wand. They all walked over to examine it more closely, Hermione going into full research mode.

"It's completely solid," Hermione observed, her hand on the Patronus's fur. "Do you know what exact emotion you focused on to make it work?"

"Hold on, let me do it a few more times to be sure," Harry replied. It took him three more times before he thought he had the answer. "It's anger, righteous anger to be exact. But it has to be protective in nature."

"That makes sense. At the time, you were angry that Professor McGonagall was being attacked and you wanted to be able to protect her from the lethifold," Hermione concurred.

"Do you think it can be replicated by others?" Amelia asked.

After a moment of thought, Harry nodded. "I think so. It takes a little bit more power than a normal corporeal Patronus, but not enough to make it impossible. The same principals apply about concentration and wand movement, the focus is just different."

"We should try right now then," Tonks suggested eagerly.

"Any other advice you can give us?" Ron asked.

"It helps if you have a person or people in mind that you want to protect. Try to think about someone or something threatening them and how much you want to prevent them from being harmed."

With those words from Harry, they all started working on it. At first, everyone only managed to create the golden mist. Minerva was the first one to get it completely and her golden form of Harry's animagus joined her own animagus form from Harry. They got awes from some of the witches at the fact that their Patronuses matched each other, making them blush slightly.

A few minutes later, the others started getting it too. Harry went around the room like he used to with the DA, giving advice to those who were still struggling with it. By the time they all left to eat breakfast, all of them had been successful.

They now had another weapon to use against Voldemort.

\- H.M. –

The morning after that did not bring good news unfortunately. Luna woke up with the sense that something bad was going to happen. Soon. She hadn't seen anything concrete in her dreams, so she tried to discern the future through her Seer trance. She got down on the floor with her legs crossed and her arms resting on her thighs. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, sinking into the trance.

At first, all she saw was darkness. Then images began to appear before her. They were too fast for her to make out anything clear, but what she did see, only increased her worry. She saw chaos and destruction, heard the screams of those in pain, and evil laughter. No matter how much she tried to focus her sight to see everything with more clarity, she couldn't. She couldn't tell where or when any of what she saw was supposed happen, but she knew it would be soon. Something was blocking her ability and she needed to tell everyone else.

Luna waited until breakfast to inform everyone. "There's something you all should know about, though I have nothing concrete to give you." Her tone was completely serious as she spoke, getting everyone's attention.

"Did you see something Luna?" Harry asked in concern.

"Nothing clear. Something is blocking my sight," Luna admitted.

"How is that possible?" Ron asked.

"There are a few rituals that can achieve this, though they are very dangerous and come with a high price," Samena said.

"Likely not high enough for Riddle to pay," Minerva noted.

"Is this permanent?" Andromeda asked.

"No, they only work for one situation and you can't perform another one for at least a year afterwards," Samena explained.

"He must be planning something big to go to all those lengths to hide them," Charlie remarked.

"What were you able to see, Luna?" Matthew asked.

Luna sighed. "I saw burning and destroyed buildings, people running and screaming in fear, and Death Eaters causing complete chaos. But I couldn't tell where any of it was happening. Any identifying marks for location were blurred."

"And you couldn't tell when it would happen either, right?" Harry asked.

Luna shook her head. "I just know it will happen soon."

"Have you seen anything in Riddle's mind recently?" Hestia asked Harry.

"No, he's been pretty quiet. All I've been able to get is that he's been recruiting, but I couldn't tell who or how many he's managed to draw to his side." Harry paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, it's been even harder to sneak into his mind at all. He's likely strengthening his shields more often."

Hermione broke the silence that had come over them. "What if he is planning something for the first, the day we go back to Hogwarts?"

"That would make sense," Hestia agreed.

"It would fit with his tendency toward the dramatics," George remarked.

"Yeah, what better way to frighten everyone and regain momentum then to attack on such an important day," Fred noted.

"So, what can we do to prepare, if we don't even know where he's gonna attack?" Neville asked.

"We'll have to prepare for anything," Amelia stated. "It's best that we all are on our guard for the next week or so. I'll talk to Scrimgeour and have him increase the auror guards in Diagon Alley, the Ministry, St. Mungo's, and Hogsmeade."

"I can have the task force do more patrols around popular muggle areas as well," Arthur said.

"But what if he tries to attack the children on the Express?" Molly questioned.

"We'll have to be ready to face it," Harry answered.

"We can ask some of the DA to help too," Susan suggested.

"As long as they still have the coins, we can warn them to be prepared at least," Ginny added.

Molly didn't like the idea of them fighting any threat on their own, but she knew how hard they had all been training. They were about as ready as they could be. "Very well, but you all be careful and don't take any unnecessary risks."

"Don't worry mum, we won't," Ron assured her.

"Zose of use who work in ze Alley can keep an eye out too. If we see anyzing, we can call to alert everyone," Fleur proposed.

"That goes for everyone. If any of you see anything suspicious, at all starting today, call the group," Minerva instructed. All of the Hoods nodded their heads in agreement.

\- H.M. –

That night there was an Order meeting. Because they hadn't officially quit just yet, Hestia, Molly, and Arthur had to be in attendance to so Dumbledore wouldn't get suspicious. There wasn't much of note discussed as not much had happened recently. Remus informed them that only three werewolf packs, consisting of around 32 members, had sided with Voldemort. Those were mostly the ones who had mindsets similar to Greyback, and despite his death, hated the magical world for how they'd been ostracized. The rest were staying neutral as they gave Amelia time to prove that she would be a better Minister with respect to her policies on them. Snape told them that Voldemort was planning something but was keeping most of the details to himself. Since the Hoods already knew that, this information didn't help them much. Recruitment efforts to the Order were nonexistent. With Amelia, a more than competent leader, in charge of the Ministry, no one felt the need to join a secret group. Everyone else had very little to offer, and the meeting ran for less than an hour. Dumbledore did mention his plans to meet with Harry when he got to Hogwarts, something the three of the smirked internally at. _If only you knew what was coming for you,_ they thought universally.

\- H.M. –

Two days before the ritual, Minerva woke Harry up as she tossed and turned while in the throes of a nightmare. It only took him a few seconds to realize what was going on and he immediately pulled her into his arms the moment he did. Remembering what she'd done for him he spoke soothing words as he tried to reassure her that everything was okay and that he was right there. She was muttering about someone named Cal and how she was so sorry. Having heard the name only a few times before, Harry wasn't sure what she was seeing, but he did his best to help her. It took her a few minutes to calm down and wake up and when she did, she was more disoriented and confused than he had ever seen her.

"Mina look at me," Harry spoke gently to get her attention. "It's me Harry. I'm right here, okay."

"Harry," Minerva whispered, his voice drawing her back to reality.

"Yeah, it's me. You're okay now. You were having a nightmare."

"I… I'm sorry for waking you up," she said in a small voice as she put her head down in embarrassment.

Harry gently lifted her head up and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "No need to apologize. Especially after I've done the same to you so many times." Overwhelmed by her emotions, Minerva buried her head into Harry's chest, taking in his warmth and feeling the beating of his heart. He in turn wrapped his arms around her protectively, trying his best to give her the strength she needed.

They sat like that for several minutes, nothing but the sound of their breathing and hearts beating filling the room. When she started to pull away, Harry felt it was safe to ask her a question. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Minerva, feeling unsure, hesitated. "I don't know."

"It's okay if you don't, but I'm here when you're ready," Harry reassured her.

She nodded in response before getting up out of the bed. "I'm just going to take a shower. You try to get some more sleep."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, concerned by her state. She looked fragile right now, something he'd never seen before.

"Yes. I think I might just go for a walk around my property to clear my head. I'll be back later."

Harry wanted to say more, to ask if she wouldn't mind some company, but he felt so out of his depth that he was unsure if that would upset her or not. He didn't want to pressure her. "Okay. See you later then."

She nodded before heading to the bathroom, leaving a confused and worried Harry behind.

\- H.M. -

Harry tried to go to back to sleep, but his concern for Minerva prevented that. An hour after she left, he decided there was no point in continuing to lay down, so he got up and threw on some workout clothes. Then he went into the training room, hoping that doing some exercises would help him relieve the stress he was feeling.

By the time the others arrived for the morning workout, Harry was still just as wound up as he'd been earlier.

"How long have you been here?" Andromeda asked as she walked over and pulled him to the side.

"A little over an hour," Harry replied.

"What's wrong and where's Minerva?"

"She had a nightmare. I tried to ask her about it, but she wouldn't say anything. Then she went back to her house." Harry sighed in frustration. "I didn't want to press too hard, but I'm worried. I've never seen her look… look so lost."

Andromeda was confused for a few seconds until she remembered something. "Wait, what day is it today?"

"The 26th. Why?"

"Oh," Andromeda said realizing the importance of this day. With everything that had been going on, it had snuck up on her.

"What do you mean? Do you know why she's so upset?" Harry asked, desperate for an answer.

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you. She… well this isn't a good day for her."

"So, what am I supposed to do? How can I help her?"

Andromeda sighed, wishing Minerva would have talked to him about this before today. "Let's just give her some space right now. Hopefully she'll come back soon and talk to you about it herself. If not though, you should go to her. This is a conversation she needs to have with you, regardless of how uncomfortable it is. You deserve to know, all things considered."

Harry didn't really like that answer, but he saw the wisdom in it. "Alright, I'll give her until lunch time then. If she's not back by then, I'll go talk to her." When the others questioned Minerva's absence, he just told them she had a rough night and needed some time alone before focusing them on their workouts. Breakfast was a quiet affair as everyone wondered where Minerva was. No one asked Harry anything else as they saw he was concerned as well. They just hoped everything would be okay between the two of them. Afterwards, Harry went to sit in the living room by the Floo, hoping Minerva would return soon.

About twenty minutes after he sat down, the flames of the fire turned green, but it was Poppy, not Minerva who stepped out of them.

"Hello Harry. Samena wanted me to do a check-up on you and Minerva just to be safe," Poppy greeted. Then she noticed his worried demeanor and took a closer look at him. "Is everything okay?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Minerva had a nightmare this morning and then she went back home to be alone for a while. She wouldn't tell me what it was about, but Andromeda said this isn't a good day for her. I… I don't know what to do to help her"

Poppy immediately realized what was wrong. "Ahh. Tell me, has she ever mentioned someone named Cal to you?"

"I've heard her say his name before and she was calling it during her nightmare, but we've never talked about him. Does he have something to do with this?"

Poppy sighed sadly. "He has everything to do with this. She really should have talked to you about him before now." Poppy shook her head in frustration. "Let me check you over and then I'll go talk to her. Don't worry, by the time I'm finished, she'll talk to you. I'll come back here when we're done."

"Thanks Poppy," Harry said gratefully.

"Don't mention it." She quickly gave him a physical, seeing nothing concerning. Then she packed up her things and headed for the Floo, intent on making a stubborn witch see reason.

\- H.M. –

Minerva had been sitting in her spot by the river thinking. She'd gone for a run to try and clear her head, but it hadn't helped her much. She was still in turmoil. It wasn't that Harry had seen her have a nightmare. She'd known it was bound to happen with her moving into his room and he'd done a good job of helping her through it. No, it was the content of the nightmare that caused to her to flee as issues she'd never fully dealt with rose to the surface. They overwhelmed her and instead of facing them, she ran. She ran and left poor Harry alone and confused. It was something she regretted, and she promised herself that she would apologize to him, but in that moment, she had allowed her emotions to dictate her actions.

Her silent reflection was interrupted by the arrival of Poppy, who stalked toward her like a woman on a mission.

"What are you doing here?" Minerva asked in surprise.

"Two reasons. One, because Samena wanted me to do a quick check up of you and Harry before you take the purging potion tonight. And two, because I want to know why you haven't told Harry about Cal yet." Before Minerva could answer her, Poppy held up her hand. "Let me do this first." Minerva nodded in acceptance and Poppy did the same thing she'd done for Harry, seeing no problems as well.

"Now, explain."

"I… I don't know. I know that I should have, but it never seemed like a good time."

"Minerva, there's never a right time to tell someone about something like this. You're procrastinating," Poppy pointed out.

"I just feel so conflicted. I'm scared that he might think less of me for what I did. I'm worried that talking about Cal will show that I'm not over him yet. I… I don't like feeling like I'm leading Harry on. Like no matter what I do, I'll never be able to fully give myself to him. Like no matter how much I care about Harry, I'll always be Cal's wife. Or that by being with Harry, I'm somehow betraying Cal's memory. Or at the very least that I'll end up comparing the two of them and mess everything up."

Poppy sighed and pulled her friend into a hug to calm her down. "Minerva, the first thing you need to do is stop overthinking things. Harry is not Callum Baker and if you think about this clearly, you'll realize that. Cal grew up in a stable home, for one, and never had to deal with the kind of pressures that Harry has. Cal was outgoing and loved to be the center of attention, while Harry prefers to keep to himself and select people and likes to avoid attention as much as possible. Cal showed you that there is a chance of a life beyond what you'd experienced growing up. That just because your parents had the relationship they did, it didn't mean that all relationships had to be that way. He taught you how to enjoy and embrace life. But Harry… he's like your kindred spirit. He gets you in a way no one else does because you have similar backgrounds. You both had horrible childhoods for similar reasons. You both know what it's like to feel unwanted and alone, with no one to turn to. And you both were strong enough to rise above it all to become the amazing people you are."

"I didn't think about it that way," Minerva admitted, seeing some of the truth in Poppy's words.

"I know. You were too busy worrying, but you need to realize that they are not the same person. And you aren't the same Minerva that you were with Cal. You've changed."

"You're right. They aren't the same people."

"Exactly. As for betraying Cal's memory, you know just as well as I do, that he would want you to be happy. He'd wouldn't want you to shut yourself off to love out of guilt."

Minerva nodded. "You're right again. Cal would want me to be happy."

"Good, now that you've admitted that out loud, let me remind you that Harry loves you. He will not think badly of you because of what happened."

"But…"

"But nothing Minerva. The only reason Harry might be upset with you, is if you hide it from him and let the first time that he learns about all of this be on the night of the ritual."

That stopped Minerva in her tracks. Poppy was right. Harry was going to see all of her memories and her his. She wouldn't be able to hide this from him and it would be better if she explained it herself. Backing out on being his anchor didn't even cross her mind. It wasn't even an option. "I need to talk to him."

"Now you're talking sense," Poppy said, a smile on her face as she stood up. "Don't worry, I'll send your love to you." Then the healer started walking back toward the house, apparating closer to the house after she took a few steps.

Minerva took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts in preparation for what would likely be a difficult conversation.

\- H.M. –

Harry practically ran into the Floo the moment Poppy said Minerva would talk to him. When he tumbled out of her fireplace, it took all of his self-control to stop himself from running all the way down there. Then he remembered that he could apparate and was permitted to do so within the wards, so he did that, popping a few meters away from where she was. He could see her outline from his position and he stopped in his tracks as he had no idea what to say to her.

"Harry, I know you're there," Minerva called, ending his indecision. He walked forward until he was standing in front of her.

"Hey," Harry said quietly.

"Hey. I'm sorry for running out on you. You didn't deserve that," Minerva began.

"It's okay, I get it. Whatever your nightmare was about, it really upset you," Harry replied.

Minerva nodded sadly. "It did."

"Andromeda said something bad happened on this day."

"Please sit down. I promise I'll explain everything." Once Harry did, she turned so she was facing him and tentatively reached for his hand. Understanding what she wanted, he grabbed her hand into his and held it securely. "I was married once. His name was Callum Baker. We, along with Poppy, were in the same year and house at Hogwarts and became close friends."

Minerva sighed as she continued. "Cal was like a breath of fresh air. He showed me that despite everything I saw and experienced in my parents' house, I didn't have to spend my life alone to avoid repeating it. That it was possible for me to have a good life, one full of joy and companionship. He did that by being annoyingly confidant and persistent. Literally, he bothered me until I would have a real conversation with him. And I'm glad he did. He helped me to open up to Poppy and let her in as a true friend. Over the years, I went from being annoyed by him and his need to be the center of attention, to falling in love with him. We dated in our last year at school and got married shortly after graduation. While Poppy went on to become a Healer, we enrolled into the Auror academy. Our marriage lasted three years until he was… murdered while we were on the job."

"How?" Harry asked gently.

"Have you heard of a death eater named Antonin Dolohov?"

"Yeah, he's part of Riddle's inner circle. I think he helped kill Molly's brothers."

"Exactly. Before he became a death eater, he went to school with us and joined the aurors at the same time as Cal and I. I didn't realize this at the time, but he'd developed an unhealthy obsession with me. Once, while we were aurors, he tried to pursue me. When he found out that I was married to Cal, he apparently began to hate him. His hate grew so powerful that he set up an ambush to kill Cal and kidnap me."

She paused for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing. "It was during a case that he, another witch named Mia, Cal, and I were investigating. We had received word that the group of dark wizards we were looking for had a safehouse in Berkshire, so we went to surveil it. After spotting two of the men we were looking for go inside the building, he suggested that we get closer. When we were five meters away from the entrance, we were attacked by 11 wizards, including Dolohov. The three of us were completely taken by surprise. I was unable to react fast enough to stop Dolohov and he… he hit Cal with the Killing curse while his back was turned. Cal never had a chance."

A sob escaped her unbidden and she paused to try a regain her composure. When Harry pulled her into his arms, tears began falling down her face and she cried hard into his shoulder. He ran one hand up and down her back and while the other stroked her hair as he did all he could to comfort her. They sat there for what felt like hours and Minerva cried in a way she hadn't in a long time, releasing emotions and pain she didn't realize she still carried with her. Tears fell from his eyes as well, feeling her anguish as clearly as if it was his own, and he buried his face into her hair.

When both of them finally calmed down and their tears had dried, Minerva pulled away and turned her face so Harry couldn't see her.

"Minerva," Harry called softly. "Mina please look at me." Hesitantly, she turned back around to face him, her eyes blotchy and red-rimmed with tear stains on her cheeks. She saw that he only looked slightly better than her. He conjured up two handkerchiefs so they could clean their faces.

"There's more to the story," Minerva said once her face was dry.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"When I saw Cal fall, I became consumed by my anger. Seeing Mia, who was someone I considered a friend, murdered too only fueled my rage. So, I… I killed every single one of them. Except for Dolohov." Her voice became bitter. "He managed to get away, though he left with a reminder of my anger in the form of a large burn across his chest. But the rest of them, I showed no mercy to. And when I was finished and saw what I had done, I was horrified. For a long time, I couldn't forgive myself."

"That's why you left the aurors and went traveling around the world?" There was no judgement or disgust in his eyes for what she'd done.

"Yes. They didn't fire me, but I couldn't go back after that. I didn't know where to go from there and Poppy suggested I spend some time away from Britain, specifically this house. The house me and Cal built together. That's how I met Samena and Matthew. Then eventually, I came back and decided that I wanted to teach. Slowly, I rebuilt my life, finding joy and purpose in molding young minds."

"Did you ever umm… date anyone else?" Harry asked cautiously, trying not to sound too interested in her answer. He was also trying to inject some levity into the dark conversation.

Minerva gave a short laugh. "Not really. I had offers and I went on a few casual outings, but no one kept my interest long enough for me to be serious about them. After a while, I just stopped altogether, believing that my time for that aspect of life had died with Cal."

Harry smiled. "Until me?"

Minerva smiled back at him. "Yes, until you. Somehow, without trying, you managed to worm your way into my heart, reawakening a part of me that I thought was gone for good."

Harry nodded before becoming serious. "You know I don't think any differently about you because of what you did, right?"

"I was afraid that you would."

"Well don't be. The truth is that they would have killed you if you'd given them the chance. Not to mention the fact that you didn't enjoy it and felt guilty because it." Harry looked down for a second. When he looked back up, his eyes showed a deep pain. "Besides, I can't judge you when I've done the same thing."

"What do you mean Harry?" Minerva asked in concern.

Harry stood up and walked closer to the riverbank. He picked up a rock and threw it across the surface, watching it skip four times before speaking. "When I was in Year 5 of primary school, a new kid from America moved here and transferred into my class. The new kid's name was Miles and the teacher had him sit in the desk near mine. Before then, I never had any friends because Dudley and his gang scared everyone off. Despite Dudley's threats though, Miles decided to keep talking to me and for the first time in my life I had a friend."

Harry paused to throw another rock as Minerva stood up and walked over to him. She stopped when she was beside him and grasped his hand, squeezing it in comfort as he continued his story. "He was an orphan like me. His parents were killed by a drunk driver and he was sent to live with his uncle who abused him. They had moved here after his uncle got into some trouble with the law and decided to take refuge here where he had some friends. Miles and I did practically everything together. Snuck into the movies when we didn't have to be in our respective prisons. Read comic books, wishing that we had the powers of the heroes we read about. We even earned money helping out a carpenter named Jack who taught us how to build things with our hands." Harry let out a short laugh. "Jack could create masterpieces with wood, metal, and stone and he taught us a lot about it when we helped out in his shop."

"Before Miles, the only one who'd ever been genuinely nice to me was the music teacher who let me go to her classroom during recess and taught me how to play the piano. Then the summer after he moved here, we found a rather large tree in the nearby forest and decided to build a tree house on it. Jack let us use some of his lumber and made sure we knew what we were doing so we didn't hurt ourselves. It became our oasis away from the harsh realities of our lives. We even got sleeping bags so we could spend the night there when one of us got kicked out of the house. We would help the other sneak out so neither of us had to face the night alone."

"Even when he learned about the weird stuff that happened around me, he still stuck by my side. In fact, he encouraged me to learn more about my magic so that we could use it to gain our freedom." Harry went silent as he remembered where it all went wrong.

"What happened to him?" Minerva asked cautiously.

"Simon happened to him," Harry spat angrily. "He and his gang used to hang out in the skate park a lot. Miles and I, we used to go there sometimes to watch them do parkour."

"What is that?"

"It's basically a method of using the quickest, and most efficient way of getting from one place to another. It involves a lot of running, jumping, climbing, sliding, and vaulting. I've actually been teaching you guys some of it through the obstacle course I created."

"So that's how you can move the way you do."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. We thought it was cool, so we started trying to do it too. When we got good at it, that's when Simon noticed us. He could tell we came from abusive homes, so he tried to collect us. Groom us. He taught us how to fight. Took us out to eat. Bought us gifts. Despite our normal lack of trust for others, I think we both hoped that Simon actually cared about us like Jack. But that wasn't the case."

Harry threw another rock, but this one sunk straight down, his throw fueled with anger. "On July 1st, the summer I got my Hogwarts letter, Simon told us he wanted to show us something. He took us for a ride, and we ended up in what I later learned was one of his gang's safehouses. Four of his guys were there waiting for us. Then he gave us his 'pitch', I guess. Telling us how he ran a 'delivery service' for certain parties. He tried to convince us of the benefits of working for him, but Miles and I weren't interested. We'd made a promise to each other and ourselves that we wouldn't be anything like his uncle or mine. So, he tried to beat us into submitting. But we weren't strangers to pain, so it didn't work either. Finally, he gave us an ultimatum, either we join, or he'd kill one of us. He flipped a coin to choose. It… it landed on heads – for Miles."

Harry almost couldn't finish, but he had to. He'd already made it this far. "I almost gave in, but Miles made me promise to save myself. I begged my magic to work for me so I could save both of us. It did for a moment and we both got free. But then, on of Simon's guys pulled out a gun and shot at us while we were trying to run. Miles got hit and he went down. He was only able to whisper my name before he was gone. All I saw was rage, burning red rage. I wanted them to hurt and my magic responded by sending out pure wave of energy. It slammed all five of them into the walls and destroyed the building. I didn't even look back as I apparated me and Miles's body out of there, back to our treehouse. When we got there, I figured since his uncle wasn't gonna be concerned enough to give him a proper burial, so I dug a grave for him and made a coffin out of leftover wood we had. He's buried in front of our treehouse. I haven't been back since."

Tears were falling freely down his face now and his shoulders were shaking as he cried. Overcome by the emotions he'd kept bottled up inside since that day, he fell down to his knees and grieved for his friend. Without hesitation, Minerva got down in front of him and wrapped her arms around him, crying for the innocence he'd lost at such a young age. In that moment, she realized exactly what Poppy had been trying to get her to see earlier. Both of them had grown up in abusive homes, though hers was more emotional than physical. Both had found someone who helped them to see the bright side of life only to lose them through betrayal. They understood each other so well because they'd lived through similar experiences.

"Is this the first time you've talked about him?" Minerva asked when their tears had dried once again.

Harry nodded ruefully. "I think I buried my feelings and memories when I buried him."

Minerva leaned in and kissed him softly. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."

"Thank you for trusting me too." Harry hesitated before making a decision. "Do you want to see the treehouse? I'm pretty sure it's still there."

"I'd like that." Together, they stood back up and dusted themselves off. Then they linked their arms together and Harry apparated them away.

\- H.M. –

They reappeared in a small clearing in a forest near Surrey. In front of them stood a tall tree with a trunk about 10 feet wide. Just like Harry remembered, there were two tire swings hanging from branches on both sides of it. A rope ladder with wood planks for its rungs ran up its midline, leading to the balcony of a rather large tree house. Harry had to gain control of the memories that assaulted him by being here before he was able to focus his attention on the reason they came – the grave at the base of the tree. A small headstone marked its position, with the hand engraved words "Miles Jackson, My brother. Hopefully you will get the peace you deserve that you were robbed of while you were here," along with the dates of his death and birth. He was a bit surprised by how well preserved everything still was, after all of the years that had passed since he'd been there. It was almost like everything had been stuck in time, waiting for him to come back home and face his past.

Minerva stood by quietly, giving him time to process everything. She was impressed at how well built the treehouse was, especially since the two who had built it had been so young. Despite how much she'd already cried today, a few tears fell down her face at the simple, yet meaningful words Harry had carved out on his friend's headstone.

When he was ready, Harry walked to the grave, sitting down once he was right in front of it. "Hey Miles. I know it's been far too long since I've been here. I could tell you that I got busy or that I've been spending most of my time at Hogwarts. But the truth is that I was afraid. Afraid to face the memory of your death. Afraid to deal with the fact that I wasn't strong enough to save you. But now, I think I can. Because I'm not alone anymore. I have friends who've proven that they'll stand by my side." Harry looked back at Minerva and grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit down with him. "And a beautiful woman to help me face whatever obstacles come in my path. So, I've come back to say I'm sorry. If I knew what I knew now, I could have stopped it, but I didn't. But mostly, I'm sorry that I tried to forget you, because you didn't deserve that. You were my first friend. The one who taught me how to have fun and focus on the good things in life instead of letting the bad overwhelm me. From now on, I promise to do my best to live my life to the fullest. To enjoy the good and deal with the bad. Just like we said we would. Thank you for being there for me when I needed you and I hope I'll make you proud."

"Thank you for being there for Harry when no one else was. He would not be the man I love today without you. I promise that I will take care of him to the best of my abilities for as long as he lets me," Minerva added before waving her wand in an intricate pattern over the grave and the entire tree.

"What spell did you cast?"

"One that will ensure this place is protected from the elements forever."

Harry smiled and kissed her cheek in thanks. "Do you want to see the inside before we go?"

"Of course."

The two of them climbed up the ladder until they were standing on the balcony. Harry gave her a quick tour, describing how he and Miles built the place, with Jack's assistance and explaining the different things that were stored in there. Through old comic books, posters from movies he'd seen, pictures of the two of them, and various other odds and ends, he gave her a deeper insight into what his life was like before Hogwarts outside of the Dursley's house. He even showed her some of his and Miles's wooden carvings, something Minerva complimented him on as they were pretty good. The last thing he pointed out before they left was his brotherhood wristband. He and Miles had made matching ones to remind them of their friendship. They were simple leather bands with a rectangular silver plate in the middle. The phrases "Harry and Miles" and "Brothers forever" were engraved on the silver with the Celtic symbol for brotherhood in between them. After a moment's hesitation, Harry picked up his and put it on his left wrist, opposite his communicator. It was time that he started honoring his friend's memory by carrying it with him.

Then, realizing that it was getting late, he and Minerva apparated back to her house so they could Floo to the manor. It was almost time for them to take the purification potions.

\- H.M. –

When they got back, the whole group was gathered at the kitchen table as well as Poppy. The healer was there to make sure everything went fine with the potion. No one asked where they'd been as they figured whatever had happened between them was private. Plus, the sight of the couple holding hands reassured them that everything was alright between the two. Because they had to take the potion afterwards, Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher made sure that Harry and Minerva had extra portions to give them the strength they would need. When they had both eaten until they couldn't fit another bite in their stomachs, they along with Samena and Poppy excused themselves from the table.

Once in their bedroom, Harry and Minerva changed into their pajamas and drunk the potions Samena handed to them. Her and Poppy then stayed for an hour just to make sure neither experienced any adverse side effects, before leaving the couple to sleep it off. Poppy made sure to ask Dobby to keep an eye on them during the night and to get her in case of an emergency before going back to Hogwarts.

Thankfully, the couple slept peacefully that night, the emotional exhaustion from their day and the effects of the potion ensuring that no nightmares disturbed their rest.

* * *

AN: I tried to make Harry's past as believable as I could while still keeping close to my original idea. I'm sorry if anyone finds it a bit far-fetched. Also, Harry's friend Jack will make a short reappearance later in the story.


	21. Chapter 21

Harry's Minerva

Chapter 21

As instructed by Samena, neither Harry nor Minerva were allowed to use magic or physically exert themselves until the night of the ritual. The former thought it was funny that his girlfriend was under the same restrictions as him and poked fun at her every now and then just to rile her up. Since there wasn't much the two of them could do, they spent time opening up more about their respective pasts. They thought it was best to put it all out there in the open since they would likely know it anyway after the ritual. When Harry told Minerva the full extent of the Dursleys abuse, describing the beatings Vernon administered with belts, fists, and feet, Petunia's cold hatred and slave treatment, and Dudley's bullying inside and outside the house, it took a lot of convincing on his part to stop Minerva from destroying them and Dumbledore for abandoning him there. Harry wasn't much better after Minerva described the vitriol her father used to spew at her for being a witch and the occasional, but brutal beatings, he gave her when he was drunk. Her mother's indifference born out of envy that Minerva was able to use magic while at Hogwarts was just as bad as her father's abuse in Harry's mind. If the two of them hadn't already left this world, Harry might have tried to go after them too.

They didn't just focus on the bad in their lives though. No, they traded stories of the good times they've had with their friends, especially Miles and Cal respectively. Each new piece information they learned about each other, only made them appreciate and respect the other even more and strengthened the bond between them. They also spent time watching Aurelia run around on the grounds of Minerva's property, playing fetch with her. Hedwig soared in the skies above them, showing off her abilities through dives and tricks. It helped them keep their moods positive as it was impossible not to experience the joy of the little unicorn or the freedom of the snowy owl.

Thankfully the two days were quiet on the war front, so the rest of the Hoods were able to focus on supporting their leaders. Though they were concerned because of the risks, they knew this was the best chance at getting the horcrux out of Harry. They also believed that he and Minerva were strong enough to survive it. So, instead of becoming overly anxious, they tried to show their support for the couple as much as they could, reminding them of their strength and easing their doubts. Harry and Minerva also made sure Samena was given encouragement as well. They could tell she was concerned about making a mistake that would harm them and they were quick to express their faith in her and her abilities to ease her doubts.

Sensing his mood, Harry's familiars only left his side when it was necessary. The golden unicorn took to sleeping on the floor near his side of the bed while Hedwig perched on the post of the headboard, to keep watch over him and Minerva as they slept.

Overall, the manor had a tense but hopeful atmosphere.

\- H.M. –

The dinner right before the ritual was much quieter than usual. Poppy was there with them as she planned on helping Samena take care of them for the aftermath of it. She and the Hoods had to urge Harry, Minerva, and Samena to eat as the three of them were picking at their food.

"I know you three are worried, but you won't do yourself any good on an empty stomach," Tonks prompted, her tone uncharacteristically serious.

"She's right. What you're about to do is going to take all of your strength," Andromeda agreed.

"I know eating may be the last thing you want to do, but your focus needs to be on the ritual," Amelia pointed out.

"Yeah, you don't want a growling stomach to mess up your concentration," Fred said jokingly. He got three small smiles in return.

"Alright we get it," Minerva relented. She and the other two fought back their nerves and started eating, seeing the truth in their words. To distract them from their worries, everyone else started talking about things completely unrelated to the war. It helped and soon enough the three of them had eaten their entire plates.

Fifteen minutes later, Samena stood up, signaling that it was time to go. All of the Hoods and Poppy showered them with hugs and well wishes, trying to give them a last boost of support. Molly pulled Harry into her signature bone-crushing hug, holding him for several seconds and letting him know how proud she was of him. After he had made his rounds to everyone else, Ron and Hermione took Harry to the side. When they were standing in one of the corners of the room, Hermione pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"You're gonna beat this and be free of having that monster in your mind," she encouraged after a moment.

"Let him breath Hermione," Ron exclaimed in amusement. "And Harry, you just go and beat the odds like you always do. We'll be here waiting for."

Harry disengaged from Hermione and grasped Ron's outstretched forearm. "Thanks Ron. Thank you both for being such good friends." The two of them nodded in response, no other words needed.

Once they had spoken to everyone, Harry, carrying Aurelia, Minerva, Samena, and Poppy headed for the Floo. With a wave goodbye, they disappeared into the green flames, leaving the Hoods to wait for word that everything was okay. None of them would be going to sleep until then.

\- H.M. -

At Minerva's property, Samena led to group down to the area she'd chosen for the ritual. In a small clearing in the forest, she had constructed a stone circle platform. They could feel the strength of the protective wards around it as they passed through them. Poppy remained outside of them to avoid interfering with the magic, transfiguring a chair to watch from out of a nearby wooden branch. The rest sat down on the platform. Samena grabbed the ceremonial bowl and knife she would need before addressing them.

"Okay, once we start, we cannot stop, so I need you to pay close attention. Like I told you before, first I'm going to collect the needed blood from you three and mix it in with the other ingredients. Then I'll draw the runes on the platform before drawing them on both of you. Once everything is set, I will start he introductory chant. Minerva you'll recite the anchor oath when I give you the signal and Harry, you'll accept it. Then I'll start chanting once more. After that, it'll be up to you two to fight the horcrux. It'll be very painful, but I have the utmost faith in you. As long as you believe in yourselves and each other, you will win."

"Thank you Samena. For all of this."

"Thank me when it's all over. Now, Harry you need to collect the blood from Aurelia personally, to satisfy the requirements of the ritual." Samena handed Harry the knife.

Harry turned to face his familiar, speaking in a soothing tone. "Alright little one. It's time. I'm going to need some of your blood now. I promise I'll be quick, and it shouldn't hurt too much."

Aurelia looked at him, her eyes full of determination as she stretched out her right foreleg to him. She was ready to do her part to help her master. When Harry made a small cut where Samena directed him too, the unicorn didn't even flinch.

"Thank you, Aurelia," Harry said after Samena told him she had enough blood. "Now go sit with Poppy." She nuzzled her nose against his cheek and rubbed her head against Minerva's outstretched hand before trotting over to the healer.

Harry and Minerva used the knife to add their own blood to the bowl as well. Then Samena poured in the phoenix tears, Hungarian horntail blood, and water from the Lake of Virtue before mixing it all up. Once she started drawing the runes around them, Harry and Minerva had a moment to speak.

"Nervous?" Harry asked her.

Minerva ran her hand through his hair before trailing it down and cupping his cheek. "Probably just as nervous as you, but I know you can do this. I've already seen you do so many things thought impossible and I'll be right here with you through the whole process."

"Thank you for doing this with me," Harry replied softly.

Minerva's tone was tender yet determined. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be than by your side. I love you Harry."

"I love you too, Mina." Not caring about Samena or Poppy's presence, he leaned in and kissed her deeply, savoring the feel of her lips on his. She moved her hand until it was pressed over his heart as she moved closer to him. Harry in turn wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. The kiss was slow, full of love and tenderness.

Meanwhile, Samena was concentrating hard to draw out the runic scheme as precisely as she could. First, she worked her way around the edge of the circle. Next, she moved to the middle and drew them in a smaller circle that would be able to fit Harry and Minerva within it. Finally, she drew seven, equally spaced out lines of runes to connect the two circles. She cleared her throat to get their attention when her work was complete, waiting for them to separate before speaking. "Sorry, but it's time. Harry, I need you to remove your shirt so I can draw the runes on your chest." Harry did as she asked. She quickly drew them on his chest and forehead, before turning to do the same to Minerva's forehead.

"Are you both ready?" They sent each other a quick glance before nodding their assent to her. "Then let's begin."

Harry lay down on the platform in the middle of the runic array. Minerva sat down at his head with her legs crossed. Once they were situated, Samena began to chant in Greek. For the first few seconds, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the runes around the edge of the platform began to glow red, starting from the first one Samena drew. When all of the runes on the border were glowing, a smoky white barrier rose up around them. The louder she chanted, the higher the barrier rose until they were completely enclosed by it. The runes continued to light up as well. As soon as the ones on Harry and Minerva were glowing, Samena paused in her chanting to address Minerva.

"Orkízeste na chrisiméfsete os ánkyra gia ton Chári Tzéims Póter?" Samena asked (Do you swear to serve as an anchor for Harry James Potter?)

Without hesitation, Minerva replied saying, "Apó símera kai metá, egó, i Minerva McGonagall, orkízomai na eímai i ánkyra tou Chári Tzéims Póter." (From now on, I, Minerva McGonagall, swear to be Harry James Potter's anchor.

Then Samena turned to Harry. "Apodécheste aftón ton órko?" (Do you accept this oath?)

"Apodéchomai ton órko tou Minerva McGonagall," he replied. (I accept the oath of Minerva McGonagall.)

A golden glow surrounded Harry and Minerva to signal that the oath had been accepted and the anchor bond formed. After Minerva placed her hands on the sides of Harry's head as instructed, Samena began to chant again.

This time her voice was harsher as she began the process of purging the horcrux from his soul. Almost immediately, Harry's scar began to burn as it tried to fight against the power of the ritual. It wasn't worse than anything he'd handled before, so at first. he barely noticed it. Then, the pain started radiating outward from his scar, spreading until he felt a burning sensation all over his body. Like with the barrier, the pain intensified in conjunction with the raising of Samena's voice. He tried his best to bear it, but it became harder as the seconds ticked by.

Just when he though he couldn't take anymore, he felt a foreign magic surround him. It only took him a moment to recognize it as Minerva's. Knowing he needed her help, he let her in fully. Having her their made a difference, and he was able to bear the pain. He understood perfectly why it was called an anchor bond, because her presence was literally keeping him tethered to reality. Despite the relief he felt at not being alone, the battle wasn't over as the pain continued to increase.

Then, Samena cried out with a loud shout, "Tóra, na eíste eléftheroi." (Now, be free.)

Harry felt an excruciating sharp pain at his scar before he was forcibly sent to his mindscape. Despite being inside his mind, he could still feel the pain and it took everything in him to remain standing. A maelstrom of dark energy swirled around in front of him, originating from the source of his connection with Voldemort. Before he could investigate it further, the energy morphed until a younger version of Voldemort stood before him.

"You were foolish for performing this ritual. Now I will gain total control over your body and magic," Voldemort hissed.

"No. I'm going to destroy you, once and for all. First in my mind and then I'll take care of the rest of you," Harry rebutted fiercely.

Voldemort laughed coldly. "You will die here, boy." Then he sent a black beam of dark magic right at Harry.

Harry instinctively formed a white shield of pure magic in front of him to block it. An effect similar to the Priori Incantatem from the graveyard happened and he was once again in a battle of wills with his enemy. Unlike the last time though, Harry was in much more pain. Knowing this, Voldemort pushed more magic at Harry, his beam growing larger and larger.

"Surrender boy and I'll end your suffering," Voldemort taunted, thinking that Harry was done for.

"Never," Harry uttered in response.

"Don't be stupid. There is no chance for you to win. Give up and I will give you a quick death."

"No! I won't give you the satisfaction. Besides, you've never managed to beat me before. Why should I believe you can now?"

"Insolent brat. Now you will suffer!" Voldemort pushed even more power into his magic.

As much agony he was in, Harry knew he couldn't give up, no matter what. He blocked out Voldemort's taunts and focused his thoughts on everything he had to live for. The Hoods. Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher. Hedwig and Aurelia. And most of all, Minerva. With her, he had a true chance at happiness, and he was not going to let that go. He had to live. For them, but especially for her.

Almost as if he summoned her with his thoughts, Minerva appeared beside him.

"Mina, I don't know how much more I can take," Harry admitted quietly.

"That's why I'm here. Together we can defeat him," she replied, her tone confident. "As long as I'm here, you will never be alone."

"You think she will make any difference. Your destruction is inevitable," Voldemort declared, interrupting them.

"No, yours is," Minerva countered.

She joined her magic with his, causing the white beam to grow until it was larger than Voldemort's. After a few seconds, they started pushing him back, putting all of their remaining strength into their efforts. The dark wizard realized that he was starting to lose and tried to regain momentum, but it was too late. The couple's combined might steadily gained ground on him.

The moment their magic impacted with Voldemort he let out a piercing scream as his body started to disintegrate. "NOOO!" he shouted, before puffing into a black cloud of dust.

Harry and Minerva continued to push their magic forward until it reached the source of the horcrux. With a loud bang, it was destroyed, and they were both forced out of Harry's mind. At the same time, several hundred miles away, Voldemort experienced a pain like no other unexpectedly, causing him to scream. His death eaters tried to tend to him, but he pushed them all away, commanding them to leave him and bring Snape to him.

Back in the real world, another beam of pure energy shot from Harry's chest into the sky, expelling the foreign soul fragment from his forever more. Black ichor streamed from his scar and down his face. Harry looked up into Minerva's eyes and muttered, "Thank you," before passing out.

Minerva wasn't much better, but she had enough strength to wipe off some of the ichor on his face with her sleeve. "Is it over?" she asked, noticing that the barrier was no longer there, and the runes had stopped glowing.

Samena nodded, a small, tired smile on her face. "It is done. He is now free." Tears of relief fell down Minerva's face as she realized Harry no longer had to carry that burden. While she tried to compose herself, Samena gestured for Poppy to come forward. Together, the two of them cleaned the couple up and checked to make sure they hadn't suffered any adverse effects. Aurelia trotted over to make sure her master and his mate were okay. By the time they finished, Minerva was barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Don't fight your sleep, Minerva. We'll take care of everything," Poppy urged softly. Minerva nodded before succumbing to her exhaustion. Poppy and Samena levitated both of them onto conjured stretchers and transported them to the house. Once inside, they lay them down in Harry's room and pulled the covers over their bodies. Then they summoned Dobby to watch them while they went to the manor to inform the Hoods that the ritual was successful.

\- H.M. –

Around nine the next morning, Minerva stirred awake. Harry was still sleeping soundly beside her, his arm wrapped around her back. Tucked into his side with her hand laying on his chest, she took a moment to relish the beating of his heart. She was tired and sore all over from the ritual, having felt some of the pain he had endured. Knowing that he was still alive and here with her though, made all of the pain worth it.

Minerva knew they were alone as she couldn't sense anyone else's presence nearby. The curtains on the window were pulled back, letting some sunlight in. A peaceful atmosphere filled the room, and Minerva reveled in it. She lay there for a few more moments before feeling Harry start to wake up.

"Morning," Harry whispered gruffly as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Good morning to you," Minerva replied, moving her hand up to his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Harry snorted in amusement. "Like I was sucked up by a tornado and tossed and turned all over before being thrown out." Minerva shook her head at him, though she couldn't blame him for his vivid description. "Seriously though, I feel like crap and everything hurts. But at the same time, I feel lighter than I can ever remember."

"It's called freedom. You should enjoy it."

"I will as long as you enjoy it with me."

"I suppose I can manage that," she teased.

Harry laughed. "I'd get you for that, but I don't really have the strength. By the way, how are you feeling?" He knew that she'd felt some his pain last night.

"Not as bad as you, but the ritual drained me as well." Seeing Harry trying to visually check her, she reassured him. "I'm okay Harry, honestly. Just tired and sore. And all of it is worth it. Your freedom is what's important."

"I don't know if I managed to thank you last night, but I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You did get out a thank you before you passed out, but you're welcome. I'm happy I was able to help you."

Before they could say anything else, Poppy and Samena came walking through the door. Aurelia and Hedwig were with them as well. The unicorn moved over to Harry's side of the bed, greeting him by licking his outstretched hand. Then she lifted her head so he could pet her. Meanwhile, Hedwig perched on the bed in front of him, giving him a piercing stare.

"Hey there Hedwig and Aurelia. I see you came to make sure I was okay," Harry said as he stroked them simultaneously. Seeing the look Hedwig was giving him, he was quick to confirm that he was okay. "I promise I'm good Hedwig. In fact, I'll be better than I've ever been once I'm fully recovered." Hedwig hooted softly to show her satisfaction with his answer before hoping onto his shoulder where Minerva stroked her feathers as well.

"Good morning. It's good to see you both awake," Poppy greeted after Harry had finished talking to his familiars.

"I'm actually surprised you're awake this early. I could have sworn you would sleep until the afternoon," Samena remarked.

Harry laughed lightly. "I'm pretty sure our bodies are hard-wired to wake up early."

"That is very likely," Minerva agreed.

"Well either way, it's great to see you both in good spirits," Samena said.

Poppy placed her healer bag on the bed and began taking a few potions out of it. "I have kept an eye on you throughout the night, but I want to do another check before I give you some potions to help you feel better and regain your strength." When both of them nodded, she drew her wand and started waving it over them. "As expected, you two are doing well. Both of your cores are almost completely refilled, and there is no damage from the ritual. I'm just going to give you both a potion to help with the soreness and exhaustion you're undoubtedly feeling. As for restrictions, no use of magic or physical exertion today. As long as your cores are completely filled and you're feeling better tomorrow, I'll lift it then."

"Thank you as always for taking such good care of us," Minerva said. Harry thanked the healer as well.

Samena waved her wand over them next, activating her Aura sight to check on their bond. "Your bond has completely stabilized overnight, though it's not fully developed yet. That won't happen until your cores are recharged. Have you noticed any effects from it?"

The two thought for a moment before Minerva answered first. "We definitely have all of each other's memories. I remember seeing some of Harry's in my dream."

"Me too, but I pushed them to the back of my mind to sort through later," Harry noted. He grasped his chin thoughtfully and turned to Minerva. "I think I can feel your presence in my mind."

Minerva examined herself as well, coming to the same conclusion. "So can I."

"I suggest the two of you continued to explore that then. Other effects or abilities likely will develop over time, especially due to how strong and compatible you are," Samena concluded.

"Now, I'm sure you need more rest, so Winky will bring you something to eat. You can come back to the manor for dinner if you feel up to it. We've already told everyone else how you're doing, and I will update them when I get back. Take as much time as you need."

Once it was just the couple and Harry's familiars left in the room, Winky popped in with breakfast for the former and snacks for the latter.

"I'm glad to see you both feeling better after the ritual. I can feel that you are now free from that evil wizard," Winky remarked after she had given them their food.

"Thanks, Winky. I'm glad to be free of him too. Now I just have to finish him for good," Harry replied.

"Don't worry Master, you will. Then you and Mistress can take a long vacation." Winky popped away after smiling at the idea.

"I like the sound of that," Minerva noted when the house-elf was gone.

"I do too. You can give me a personal tour around the world," Harry replied.

"Something to look forward to then."

"And motivation to win as soon as possible."

\- H.M. –

Harry and Minerva got back to the manor during dinner time. They were greeted by a surprise party to celebrate their successful completion of the ritual and the destruction of the horcrux. Both Molly and Hermione wrapped Harry up into tight hugs of relief that he was still alive and well. The others also made sure to hug on both of them to express their relief as well. After they were able to sit down, they saw that all of their favorite foods and desserts were spread out on the table. The Hoods were grateful that their leader was free and that they had moved forward another step in the direction of defeating Voldemort for good. Overall, the atmosphere in the manor that night was full of joy and they were able to ignore the sadness and fear of the war.

\- H.M. –

Two days later Minerva, Harry, Andromeda, Amelia, Matthew, and Samena went to meet with the Hogwarts professors to inform them of the changes that would occur the next day. They were meeting them in a little-known restaurant in Diagon Alley called Josh's Place, that Andromeda frequented when she needed to meet her clients in secret and her office wasn't an option. After much debate, the group had decided to only invite Flitwick and Sprout to the meeting. There was simply too much riding on this plan being kept secret for them to risk telling the others. Just like how they'd handled the meeting with the school's governors, Minerva and Amelia would speak with them first and the others would join when signaled. The bond between Harry and Minerva made the signaling part easy as they'd learned that they could feel each other's emotions, able to get a general sense of what the other wanted, though not full-blown thoughts.

They arrived about thirty minutes before Minerva had asked the professors to be there, which was at 11. The owner, obviously named Josh, led them to the table he'd set up for the occasion after Andromeda had set up the reservation. It was placed in the far corner of the room, with enough seating for them all. There were refreshments spread out on the table as well.

"Those of you who need to remain hidden at first can wait in the kitchen. The door is right over there," Josh informed them, pointing to a door a few feet to the left of them.

"Thank you for setting all of this up at such a late hour Josh," Andromeda replied. "I know this is after hours and at short notice."

"No trouble at all. Anything to help stop that so-called dark lord," he replied directing a pointed gaze at Harry. When he saw Harry's stiffen at the recognition, he added, "Don't worry lad. I won't be telling anyone about your visit here. I can understand your need for secrecy and helping you means we get one step closer to being finished with this war."

Harry nodded his head in thanks. "Now, if you need anything just let me know." He walked off to head to his apartment that was above the restaurant.

"Well, guess we better head to the kitchen. Everyone should be arriving soon," Andromeda announced.

"Just let me know when you're ready for us," Harry told Minerva in a soft voice.

"I will," she replied.

"Alright lovebirds, you two can spend a few minutes away from each other," Samena joked when the two had been gazing at each other for a few seconds too long. Then she looped her arm through Harry's and tugged him to the kitchen as he laughed. The others, except for Amelia followed behind them, leaving Minerva to shake her head at her friend.

"You two are going to have avoid that if you don't want anyone to find out anytime soon," Amelia remarked. She laughed at the slightly annoyed look on Minerva's face.

"We will. We've just gotten used to being free," Minerva said after a moment.

Amelia nodded in understanding. "I know and I wish you two didn't have to hide at all. But one day, sooner than you think, you'll be able to be free all of the time. And everyone will have to keep their opinions to themselves if they know what's good for them."

Minerva silently thought that that day couldn't come soon enough. She didn't like them having to keep it a secret, but it was for the best right now. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind to prepare for the meeting.

Ten minutes later, Flitwick and Sprout walked through the door. They scanned the room until they spotted the two witches and walked over to them, taking seats across from them when they reached the table.

After they had all greeted each other, Flitwick dived straight into his questions. "Minerva where have you been, my friend? We've only seen you at the staff meetings and you're always the first one to leave. I tried to ask Albus about it, but he claimed he didn't know either."

"And what do you have to tell us that requires us to meet in secret at this late hour?" Sprout added.

Minerva sighed. "That, my friends, is a long story. I can't tell you everything, but I promise that we'll explain as much as we can. I do need your word that you won't tell anyone what we discuss tonight." Without hesitation, both of them complied, knowing that she would ask it of them if it wasn't important.

"The reason for this meeting is to inform you about some changes that will occur at Hogwarts this school year," Amelia stated.

"Changes that we managed to convince the board of governors to agree to," Minerva continued. "Though some of them didn't necessarily like them. But the majority ruled in our favor."

Sprout raised her eyebrow. "What kind of changes?"

"To put it bluntly, Dumbledore will no longer be the Headmaster after tomorrow," Minerva said. Both of the professor's eyes opened and mouths dropped in shock.

"How did you get the governors to agree to that?" Sprout asked after she had composed herself some.

"We pointed out exactly how Dumbledore had failed as a headmaster over the past few years, citing his questionable hiring choices and his lax in protection for the students," Amelia explained. The fact that neither of them asked her to explain Dumbledore's failures, showed that they too were upset at what he had allowed to happen over the past few years.

"Then we gave evidence of why he should never, ever, be in charge of the welfare of children," Minerva added.

"What do you mean?" Flitwick asked, wondering where she was going.

"Before I get to that, I should tell you that Dumbledore won't be the only staff change," Minerva said.

"Well, you're obviously going to be the headmistress," Sprout interjected.

"And I have a feeling that Severus will no longer have a job either," Flitwick inferred.

Minerva nodded in confirmation. "Both of you are correct. I'll need a deputy though. I'd ask you Pomona, but I know you're busy enough with your Head of House duties as well as taking care of all of the greenhouses. So Filius, if you're willing, I'd like for you to fill that position."

"I would be honored," Flitwick replied.

"Thank you, I'll definitely need your help to fix everything that Dumbledore has either actively messed up or simply neglected."

"That's an understatement," Sprout remarked bitterly. "Honestly, I was considering going to the board of governors myself. The things he's allowed Snape to get away with and the events of the past five school years are nothing less than a crime. But, when Amelia here was elected Minister and you never came back to the school like you usually do, I had a hunch that you were planning something." Minerva smiled slightly. Though most overlooked her as a kindly soul who was good with plants, Sprout could be dangerous when provoked.

"So, who will be joining our staff then?" Flitwick inquired.

"Well there will be four new members total, as Binns will no longer be allowed to teach either. It's time that our students got a more comprehensive education about the history of our society. A warning before I call them in here, you will probably be surprised by at least one of our choices, but I assure you that everyone is more than qualified." When they nodded in understanding, she let Harry know that she was ready for them. A few seconds later, the door to the kitchen opened up and the rest of the group walked into the room. The two were shocked once more when they recognized Harry among the others.

Amelia introduced the group and their positions while the professors got over their surprise and the others sat down. "We have Andromeda Tonks who will replace Binns as the History of Magic professor. Samena Easton will take Snape's job as Potions professor and Head of Slytherin house. Matthew Copeland will take both of Minerva's old jobs. And last but not least, Harry will be our new Defense professor."

"Don't get me wrong Minerva, I'm well aware that Mr. Potter is a very talented student who did an excellent job teaching the DA last year, but isn't he still technically a… well student?" Flitwick asked cautiously.

"You would be correct in your assumption, but I had him take his NEWTs in Defense and Transfiguration a few weeks ago. He impressed the proctors so much that they awarded him masteries in both subjects." Minerva couldn't keep the pride out of her voice if she tried, making Harry blush slightly.

"Congratulations Mr. Potter. I always knew there was something special about you," Flitwick praised.

"Yes, congratulations indeed. You should be very proud of yourself," Sprout observed.

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, and please, call me Harry," he replied in a humble tone.

"Only if you call me Filius."

"And me Pomona. We are colleagues now after all."

Harry laughed. "Yes, we are, aren't we? That'll definitely take some getting used to."

"Don't worry, you'll feel like part of the staff in no time," Sprout assured him. Then she focused her attention on Matthew. "Is that really you Matthew? I never thought anyone could convince you to come back to England. Last I heard, you were in America living among the Native Americans."

Matthew laughed. "I was until this one right here roped me into coming back." He pointed to Minerva as he spoke. When he saw the looks of confusion that he was getting from the others he said, "Me and Pomona went to Hogwarts around the same time, though I was a year ahead of her."

"You never told me that," Minerva noted.

Matthew shrugged. "It never came up, I guess."

"Well we're glad to have you back. You're almost as good as Minerva is when it comes to Transfiguration so I'm sure the students will benefit under your tutelage," Sprout said.

"They also certainly will learn a lot more about history with you teaching them Andromeda, though some might complain about losing their nap period. And the Slytherins are in for a shock when they meet you Ms. Easton. I am correct in assuming that you are the Samena famous for studying ancient magic, yes?" Flitwick said.

"You are correct," Samena confirmed.

"It's good to have you all aboard then. I'm sure the rest of the staff will welcome you all as well once they get over their shock," Flitwick added.

"You should know that we expect a fight, though," Amelia said grimly. "Which is why there will be aurors present at the start-of-term feast. They will be hidden until after the sorting, which is when the announcement will be made. I will also have some remain at the school full time as an added layer of security."

"Do you really think Dumbledore would risk damaging his image in public?" Sprout asked.

Harry scoffed. "His image will already be damaged after we list the reasons for him being fired. Especially since they will include how he left me in an abusive environment, even after I told him how I was treated."

"I doubt he'll be able to maintain his grandfatherly façade after that," Minerva asserted, remembering how the man had tried to kidnap Harry. "And even if he does, Snape is guaranteed to fight. That man barely keeps his temper in check on a regular day."

Flitwick nodded sadly and replied in a solemn tone. "That is very true. It's unfortunate that one has failed to grow out of their hatred and the other has fallen so far. But we will prepare ourselves for whatever we may face."

After that, they went over the specifics of the plan with them. Then all of them returned back to their respective homes to get some rest in preparation for what would likely be a hectic day.

* * *

AN: Finally Harry is free from Voldie. Unfortunately it means he won't be able to sneak around in his mind anymore, but I feel that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Next chapter will have most of them returning back to Hogwarts.


End file.
